


Ich rieche dich nur, ich spüre dich

by moon_waves



Category: Rammstein
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Mystery, Slice of Life, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:06:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_waves/pseuds/moon_waves
Summary: Seventy-two hours in the life of a vampire hunter: dust, grime and blood - oh, lots of blood.
Relationships: Richard Kruspe & Oliver Riedel, Richard Kruspe/Till Lindemann
Comments: 50
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 29/12/2020 : added a couple of paragraphs in the first half.

“Did you forget you are only a mortal?”

Richard moved away the damp cloth he was pressing against his face, trying his best to hide his surprise at the familiar voice before raising his eyes to the massive frame standing in the shadows not far.

“Fuck off,” he mumbled, feeling his cheeks warm up before he moved the cloth back in position, a scoff marring his face.

It looked like it had absorbed most of the sweat and blood on his heated skin and he gently pushed it against the bleeding cut under his eye, trying to make sure blood wouldn’t be beading up next time he took it away. Mindful of his unexpected audience, he tried to force his shoulders to relax, despite the throbbing pain that covering his entire back as well as the right side of his body. Oh, the fight had been an unequal one and he had gotten his ass kicked to hell and back – but at least there had been no witnesses, which was a small mercy for his pride.

Or so he had thought – he didn’t want to know how long his visitor had been standing on the doorstep, watching his pitiful face in the aftermath of the fight. That was just his luck, coming across a vampire right after having fought a nest of three, and having been unable to kill them, his preys escaping him, but not without giving him something to remember them by…

“I don’t think you are up for it right now,” the form went on, voice amused by now.

Richard was careful to hide his amusement at the innuendo by glaring at the shifting shadows, eyebrows furrowed, before slightly turning on his seat – a destroyed armchair vomiting its inner lining – and showing his good side to the visitor, moved by a sudden spike of pride. Not that it didn’t matter much: obviously his injuries had already been catalogued and analyzed by the time his companion had spoken up, and evidence of his lost fight was everywhere in the destroyed room. It was hard to imagine it had once been the bedroom of a rather wealthy merchant, canopy bed and mahogany private desk standing on opposite corners, along with a small couch and what had been two comfortable armchairs. Even the tapestries on the walls had been destroyed, at first by time and then by the fight, blood stains and ashes standing out vividly on the faded colors.

The wooden, broken shutters were standing awkwardly in front of the windows – a panel of glass missing from one of them, although not due to the fight – letting the first rays of the sun shining timidly in the room, drafting mysterious forms over the destroyed furniture.

Sometimes, Richard wondered why he insisted on putting his vanity first, when he already knew it was to no use, and his interlocutor had already seen the extent of his injuries, all too familiar with both his line of work and his body.

“I’m up for everything,” Richard grumbled before carefully pushing away the damp cloth from his face and studying it again.

The blood stains on the piece of cloth covering were all of a deep brown, a telltale sign he had stopped bleeding.

Good.

No matter what he said, he wasn’t exactly eager to go against a vampire attracted by the smell of fresh blood.

“Especially a hot bath and a good night of rest,” the form in the shadows said, amusement still tainting his voice.

Richard looked at him, squinting a little to try to see him more clearly. Indulging him, his visitor stood closer, the tip of his boots at the very limit of the sunbeams that were peering through the broken shutters of the windows. Now that Richard wasn’t straining to see into darkness, it was now easier to see a familiar long, hooded, black cape, and to guess the dark pants underneath, covering what he knew were a well-worn pair of black leather boots. Raising his eyes a little, Richard tried to guess what else his visitor was wearing – spotting the whiteness of a laced shirt under a dark vest – before his gaze landed on familiar plush lips stretched into an amused smirk, the hint of glinting fangs barely showing. Forest-green eyes were glinting with amusement once he met the vampire’s gaze, and the sight sent a shiver down his spine for reasons that had nothing to do with the fight he had just one through.

“Why are you here?” he finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him now that it was clear the vampire wouldn’t move from his spot. “I had no idea you were in the city. Tempted by a little holiday up north?”

His visitor hummed quietly before tilting his head to the side, studying him. Richard held his gaze, less uneasy than he ought to be at having to raise his head to look at him in the eyes, but didn’t get up. He was still too sore from his fight – and that was quite the understatement – and would only move when the situation would really require it.

If his unexpected visitor decided to give him a good reason to.

“I heard a little hunter decided to take on a nest all by himself near the docks and had to check with my own eyes,” the vampire finally said, lips drawn back as he spoke. “Such stupidity is rather unusual around here.”

Richard spotted the glinting ivory of his fangs before they were covered again.

“It wasn’t a stupid idea,” Richard said, fully aware of how feeble his protestation sounded – and okay, that hadn’t been his best decision in his career so far. “I got them good.”

“They are still alive,” the vampire pointed out before stopping himself.

Richard snorted.

“As much as a vampire can be alive, yeah, sure,” he said derisively before raising his eyes to the vampire as he slowly made his way up to him.

If he was honest with himself, it _had_ been a stupid idea to go alone to the nest, without even leaving a note to his hunting partner, but the outcome had been in his favor. Once more. Still alive, not bitten, and having held his own against the three vampires that had been haunting the decrepit house he was now sitting on, knowing he had harmed them good enough that he could probably finish the job the following night.

If he was up for it – and if no other creature decided to turn him into a meal in the meantime.

The vampire finally stood in front of him, standing between two sunbeams of light, his intense gaze staring deep into Richard’s soul, the amusement gone from his face, replaced by a familiar impassive expression. Richard didn’t hide his interest as he stared in return, noticing the way a few errand strands of black hair were falling in front of the vampire’s eyes before finally looking away, attention suddenly caught by the flash of movement behind his visitor’s massive frame.

Just an owl flying on the corridor.

“Not having killed them has made you a target,” the vampire finally said once silence had stretched for a moment too long between them.

Richard was used to that peculiar habit of him and only shrugged at his words, mindful of his burning shoulder and bruised ribs.

“When is a vampire hunter not a target for the night community?” he asked nonchalantly, noticing how the vampire squinted at him briefly from under his hood. “Alive, I mean.”

The vampire smirked, a rueful expression that sent something hot and dangerous pool at the bottom of Richard’s stomach. Still, he did his best to keep up the façade, turning his damp cloth into a ball before putting it in one of the pockets inside his leather jacket, fingers drifting across the handle of the silver blade that was still there before settling on top of the silver gun at his belt.

He didn’t think he would need it – had been dancing that particular dance with that particular vampire for too long now, and that one preferred the thrill of the chase anyway.

“When he does not draw out his hunt for so long that his preys might become hunters as well,” the vampire finally said before slowly raising his hand.

Richard remained silent as the cold leather touched his skin, trying his best to hide the shivers that travelled all over his body. He went along willingly at the vampire made him turn his head and then tilt it back, only clenching his jaw at the new position made him showcase his neck. His heartbeat quickened a little at the position and he saw the vampire’s nostrils widen a little as blood pumped up faster before a gloved finger delicately ran over the fresh cut on his cheekbone.

“You bled,” he finally said simply, a steel undertone to his otherwise calm voice, concern flickering across his face.

Richard blinked and then licked his lips, suddenly dry, absent-mindedly noticing green eyes following the small gesture.

“Nobody got a taste,” he said simply in return before taking hold of the armchair.

He found himself unable to move, pinned in position under the intense gaze of the vampire. Time seemed to stand still for a moment – a heartbeat, eternity – before the hold on his face loosened a little. He blinked, watching the smallest variations in the vampire’s eyes as a gloved finger moved from his cheekbone to his lower lip, barely pressing on it. Still, his mouth opened of its own volition, and he swallowed, throat dry, the sound all too loud to his ears.

“I shall hope so,” his visitor murmured, towering over him, his imposing presence forcing him to lie back against the armchair, heartbeat quickening.

“I’m not exactly in a habit of letting strangers have a go at my blood,” Richard said slowly, his voice sounding very far away all of a sudden.

Concern morphed into barely concerned amusement and he felt the vampire bend until their faces were very close to one another.

“I know that.”

The words caressed his face before two cold lips pressed against his mouth. He moaned weakly, reached out to the vampire and hold onto his arm – one strong, muscled bicep that flexed under layers of clothes – as he felt the life being kissed out of him.

He barely had the time to register sharp fangs drifting against his lips before they pierced the skin, making him bleed again. He yelped a little at the sudden pain, body arching before a gloved hand kindly but firmly pushed him back against the armchair.

“Quiet,” the vampire murmured against his mouth before licking at the blood beading there, trickling down his chin. “We do not want anyone to come and interrupt us, do we?”

“You have terrible manners,” Richard muttered before closing his mouth again, shivered a little as skilled lips trailed down his face.

The ghost of arousal spiked down his spine but he didn’t even have to try to push the feeling away, exhaustion and pain already reigning over his body.

Oh, it was tempting – and the armchair would be comfortable enough, all destroyed that it was – but he didn’t have enough energy to enjoy it.

Barely enough to focus on the vampire’s body pressed against his, the earthly smell of a forest after autumn rain covering him like a blanket, and he indulged into the feeling for a moment, never letting go of the arm keeping him pinned in position.

“You enjoy my manners well enough,” the vampire finally said slowly, voice warmed with amusement.

Richard opened his eyes again, half-wondering when he had closed them, and glared at him with all the energy he could muster. The vampire chuckled at his reaction before moving his hand to Richard’s face again.

This time, Richard was prepared for the coldness of the leather glove, but he still couldn’t hide his shiver as one finger delicately ran from his cheekbone to his mouth and then down his neck. The vampire paused there, obviously tempted to drink from him – the weight of his finger had become heavier, all of a sudden – before standing up and taking a step back, something akin to regret on his face.

“You should go back to your inn,” he said quietly.

Richard stared at him, eyebrows raising in incredulity.

“And whose fault is it, that I couldn’t get up from this chair when I meant to?” he said in a low voice, lacking bite.

Well, he was more tired than he had thought.

The vampire didn’t say anything, only offered his hand. Richard stared at him for a moment, tempted to ignore the offer, before finally setting his pride aside and holding onto it with one hand, the other pushing on the armchair to give him the help he needed to get up.

It was an embarrassingly slow process and Richard knew the list of his injuries was being carefully adjusted as he reluctantly let the vampire’s hand go. Him leaning a little on his left side meant his right ankle was flaming up as he stood on it, and the small steps he took forward spoke of bruised ribs as well. Showing such weakness to a vampire was bordering on idiocy, ever hunter could have said so, but his visitor had had multiple occasions to kill him over the night – and even more over the years – and yet he still stood, alive.

He slowly picked up the few weapons of his that had been scattered across the room, all too aware of the intensity of the gaze on his back – two silver blades, empty silver brasses that could be melted into new bullets next time he went to an armory, and what remained of his wooden stakes. He grimaced when he bent down to pick them, dusting them off before putting everything back on their sheaths, the brasses going into a small box made for that, before raising up again and turning on his feet to look at the vampire.

He had moved quietly and was standing in the shadows again, expression impassive again, leaving a clear pathway to the door. That he expected Richard to leave the house was obvious – he was just slightly surprised that the vampire was still waiting for him.

He had, after all, never been the kind to remain for long after having fed.

Dust rose up as he slowly walked through the room, careful to avoid destroyed furniture.

“What are you doing so far north?” Richard asked away as he crossed the doorway, the panels of his black cape brushing against the vampire’s.

“Lübeck is nice this time of the year,” the vampire said after a beat – and Richard could feel the weight of his gaze on his back. “Careful on the stairs. It would not be good for your reputation to fall down and break your neck after having survived another hunt.”

Richard huffed back a laugh, slightly amused by the brusque change of topic.

“It’s so comforting to know that you care about my reputation,” Richard said with a drawl before stopping on top of the staircase.

He could still feel the presence of the vampire behind him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to ask for help to get down or not – his wounds were worse than he had thoughts and he wasn’t sure he would be able to get down the stairs on his own, less alone go back to the inn. As for holding his own if a vampire decided to tear into him – especially one that was powerful enough to walk around while the sun was out – well… the outcome of the fight would be him turning into a meal.

And yet he had to get out of the house – preferably before an unsuspecting civilian decided to inspect the perimeter.

The wooden floor creaked under his weight as he leaned a bit more on his left leg. The sound resonated loudly across the empty house, and Richard barely heard a short intake of breath – his only signal something was going to happen – before two firm arms grabbed him by the waist and he was on ground level before he had the time to blink, a bit dizzy by the sudden change of position. He swayed a little on his feet, left hand reaching for the arm closest to him, forcing the vampire to remain close to him as he regained his standing.

The vampire indulging him, standing immobile until Richard felt comfortable enough to let go of the velvet sleeve he had been holding on. He remained silent as Richard moved until they were face-to-face, the hood of his cape still keeping most of his face in the shadows.

“Thank you, Till,” Richard finally said in a low voice, blinking before he started losing himself into forest-green eyes, still feeling the weight of a gloved finger trailing down his face.

The vampire tilted his head to the side, looking at him as if he was _searching_ for something on his expression.

“Be careful with that nest, Richard,” he said in a low voice.

And then he was gone.

Richard blinked before taking a step back in surprise, and then groaned in pain as his right ankle protested loudly at the change in position, sending a sharp jolt of pain along his leg. Sighing loudly, he pushed his hair back, grimacing at its dampness – a mix of sweat, dust and ashes he was all too familiar with – before straightening his spine a little. He knew he would have to walk a fair amount of time before being able to go back to the inn, and the perspective had him looking grim already.

Grumbling a little, he slowly started making his way out of the room, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Vampires shouldn’t be an issue for the rest of the day, but there were other creatures he meant to avoid on his way back – and that without talking about the very human population of muggers and thieves that might deem him an easy attack.

The promise of a warm meal and a comfortable bed in the inn couldn’t come to life fast enough.

* * *

It took him an embarrassingly long time to go back to the inn where he was staying, painstakingly walking through the docks until he found a coach willing to pick up a hooded stranger covered in dust, grime and blood without asking any question. His ankle had flamed up in pain before he had reached the end of the street where the decrepit house was still standing, and his bruised ribs had reminded themselves to him with a vengeance, making him gasp in pain more than once. He didn’t even notice the exhaustion weighing over him anymore, pain having won the fight and calling for every single shred of his attention.

Luckily for him, the streets were still mostly empty at this early morning hour, and he was grateful to have avoided curious gazes while coming back. His cotton shirt was drenched in sweat – and probably a small amount of blood – by the time he walked into the inn, inwardly begging for released. He awkwardly stepped into the main room, careful to keep his face hidden as best as possible under the hood of his cape before spotting a familiar face among the morning crowd, looking right at him from his half-hidden position in one of the corners of the room, away from the rest of the patrons.

Cursing under his breath, he slowly made his way towards his companion before carefully sitting down on the empty chair waiting for him, a little moan of relief escaping him as he could finally rest. Pale grey eyes stared at him for a few seconds before a plate full of food was pushed in his direction.

“You look like shit,” Ollie said simply, watching him push away his hood, eyes cataloguing each and every of his moves, probably guessing the extent of his injuries at the same time. “Did you get them?”

Richard shook his head, already ripping into the food with a sound of appreciation, stomach suddenly growling loudly.

“I will have to go back tonight,” he said between two bites, not missing the way Ollie squinted his nose in disgust. “They’re hurt, but I couldn’t kill them. One was older than I expected and got me when I arrived.”

Ollie hummed quietly before leaning back a little as one of the waitresses came with two steaming mugs of coffee, leaving the pot on the table before walking away. His plate of food was still half-full and he slowly picked at it while scanning their surroundings, before continuing the conversation in a low voice.

“You shouldn’t go without back-up, then,” he said simply, going back to his own breakfast with more manners than Richard. “They won’t be alone this time, and they definitely will want to make you pay for their injuries.”

Richard snorted, both amused and touched by the concern shown by his hunting partner.

“Funny how you say that,” he mumbled before reaching for the mug of coffee, another moan escaping him as he swallowed the hot drink.

Ollie squinted at him again before a slightly dismayed expression settled on his face – the kind that meant Richard had taken him by surprise again, and not in a good way.

“Richard”, Ollie said in a plaintive tone, making him wince a little, and then eat his breakfast a little slower.

“What?” he said with a gruff tone – or had been supposed to sound like a gruff tone, but he could hear the guilt just fine, and knew Ollie would, too.

“You saw him again,” Ollie said in an accusative tone, pointing his fork in his direction.

Richard swallowed around the mouthful of food he was currently chewing before raising his eyes towards his companion, trying his best to keep his calm façade.

“He appeared after the fight,” he explained slowly, not very eager to be sharing that particular encounter. “I wasn’t exactly looking for him, you know.”

Ollie rolled his eyes before staring at him with a doubtful expression – and yeah, okay, maybe that kind of encounters happened a bit too often for it to be purely coincidental, but it wasn’t actually up to him...

“You want me to believe he just _happened_ to walk by right after you had decided to take on a nest of vampires all by yourself?” Ollie asked incredulously.

Richard shrugged before poking at his food, eyeing the over-cooked egg with a doubtful expression.

“I know you don’t believe me, but this is exactly what happened,” he said sincerely, starting to savor his breakfast more now that the pangs of hunger had disappeared.

“Right,” Ollie said very flatly. “Because he had absolutely zero ulterior motive in seeking you out.”

Richard shrugged again before finishing the egg and attacking the two slices of meat, mind getting fuzzy with pain and exhaustion.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said slowly, voice half-muffled by the food he was eating.

Ollie stared at him with exasperation in his eyes before reaching for his coffee mug.

“Vampires never seek out people like _us_ by pure chance,” he said accusingly. “And you’ve come across him quite a few times around the past few months, haven’t you?”

“It has been going on for three years,” Richard reminded him slowly. “And he never tried to kill me once.”

“Since the first time.”

“Since the first time,” Richard amended, fleeting memories floating in his mind. “But never since. I don’t think he wants me dead, Ollie.”

Ollie stared at him for a few seconds before sighing, rolling his eyes again.

“Of course not,” he said in a grumbling tone, the pointed expression on his face showing exactly what he thought of the matter. “I’m sure he has _other plans_ for you.”

Richard squirmed under his gaze, trying to fight the blush that meant to cover his cheeks. Alright, he maybe hadn’t been as discreet as he had thought – but he had never expected for Ollie to walk on him in a _compromising_ position, and could only count his lucky star that his friend had never said anything about that little dalliance.

Hunters getting involved with the very creatures they were supposed to hunt was no secret within the guild, and a certain tolerance was in order as long as it was useful, only up to the point the chapter heading the guild decided it was becoming a hindrance rather than an advantage. They had all heard stories of hunters who had become the hunted, some renouncing their humanity to join the creatures they had gotten involved with, other remaining humans and yet being killed by their fellow guild-members. There were even whispered stories of hunters betrayed by the very creatures who had lured them.

Passion, politics and money spared no one among them.

“Will he be coming tonight?” Ollie finally asked after a moment of silence, his plate finally clean, holding his mug of coffee between his hands.

Richard made a face, annoyed at himself that he hadn’t thought to ask about it. Alright, he might have been distracted by the presence of the vampire, but…

“I don’t know,” he said truthfully with a little sigh. “He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask.”

“Mmh. But he knows you mean to go back, doesn’t he?”

Richard nodded, poking at the remnants of food on his plate with slow moves of his fork. His wounds were reminding themselves to him with a renewed furor now and he was starting to feel a bit light-headed from the pain.

“He does know it,” he finally said. “Thank you for breakfast, Ollie, but if you will excuse me, I need some rest if I want to get rid of that nest tonight.”

“Careful on the stairs,” Ollie said quietly, watching him move away with intent eyes. “I’ll come wake you tonight if you’re not up by yourself. And take a bath before going to bed, would you? Your wounds will thank you for that.”

Richard nodded and wished him a good day before slowing walking up the stairs, his entire body screaming in pain as he made his way to the rooms they were renting. The inn was nothing exceptional but had a few rooms with bathtubs and they had been lucky enough to get them – in their line of work, it was the kind of little details that could convince them to be even more efficient than their usual standards.

His room was undisturbed and he carefully locked the door behind him before painstakingly walking to the bed and then letting himself fall on it with a groan. He waited for a few seconds for the ceiling to stop spinning over him before moving on a sitting position. Taking off his shoes was arduous and his ribs didn’t thank him for it, making him gasp in pain more than a few times. His clothes ended on a dirty pile on the floor, his cape and weapons the only things that he left on the bed, and he limped to the bathroom with small grunts of pain.

He used the sink and a medium-sized piece of cloth to clean most of the dirt and blood sticking to his body before filling the bathtub, using that time to scour among his toiletries to find a little vial containing a remedy to soothe his aches. Ollie had gifted it to him – to be used only in water, never to drink it nor to use directly on his wounds – and had refused to tell him where he had gotten it, despite Richard’s numerous attempts at getting the truth out of him.

Once the bathtub was half-filled, he carefully made sure five drops of the mysterious remedy merged with the warm water, mixed it with his hand and then slowly inserted himself in the bath with a moan of satisfaction, settling in the tub to the best of his abilities. He had used bigger bathtubs over the years, but this one was still better than nothing, and he could let his head rest on top of it semi-comfortably. He closed his eyes as soon as he was settled, waiting for the few drops of Ollie’s mysterious remedy to start working his magic.

Ollie wasn’t the first hunter Richard had been travelling with, but he definitely was the one Richard got along best with. They had been traveling together for almost five years now, and the man still remained much of a mystery. He had an uncanny eye to notice details and could find his way in a forest better than anyone else, even if it was the first time he was there. It was a bit uncanny, at times, and Richard had started to suspect he wasn’t entirely human, but he hadn’t brought up the topic.

Elvish territories were growing smaller now that wood was being consumed in much bigger quantities than before, and he certainly wouldn’t blame one of them for trying their luck among humans.

He still wasn’t quite sure what Ollie thought of him – probably tolerated him well enough, considering that they spent most of their time together, without trying to work with hunters, but he didn’t know if Ollie _trusted_ him fully. Enough to have his back during a hunt – and the reverse was true for Richard – but to confide in him with very personal matters? Not so much.

Although, if Richard was honest with himself, he hadn’t shared much with Ollie to begin with – had mentioned he had cut off relationships with his family, and had made no secret of his taste in bed-partners – so maybe that explained why the quiet hunter wasn’t sharing secrets with him either…

The mix of warm water and Ollie’s mysterious remedy started working its magic on him and he relaxed into the bath, forgetting everything that wasn’t the porcelain tub he was sitting on.

Everything else would have to wait until he had gotten enough rest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard goes looking for the vampires nest - accompanied, this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very touched by your interest in the first chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy that one as well!

The sun was already setting down when he woke up from his nap – a whooping nine hours of sleep in a comfortable bed, atop a mattress that was just firm enough for his taste. He had dozed off in the bath and only gotten out when the water had turned cold, already feeling slightly better, before stepping out and drying himself off. He had then taken care of his wounds, applying a salve that he had been using for years – and came for sure from elvish hands, its price only as high as its efficiency – before bandaging himself, careful not to jostle his bruised ribs. He had afterwards limped into bed before hiding under the covers and falling fast asleep, indifferent to the noise of daytime activities. He was too used to sleeping in loud, noisy environments for that to bother him, and his hurting body had needed the rest more than anything else.

As usual, it took him no more than a couple of seconds to remember where he was – Lübeck, the inn close to the docks, the room on the first floor – and he blinked for a few seconds, cataloguing the aches of his body. Nothing seemed to hurt too much right now, but he hadn’t even tried to move yet… Yawning loudly, he slowly moved in a sitting position, grunting in pain as his bruised ribs reminded themselves to him. Not broken – as far as he could tell, and he carefully moved his fingers up and down over the bandages, mindful not to press too hard – but the throbbing pain was still telling him he truly had gotten his ass kicked to hell and back.

Groaning a bit, he slowly stood up, grimacing as pain shoot through his right ankle. Well, his injuries must have been worse than he thought, if neither Ollie’s remedy nor the elvish salve had managed to heal them any better through the night. He carefully walked to his luggage, night shirt still gaping wide open over his chest, and bent down to retrieve clean underwear as well as his pants, before limping back to the bathroom. His silver gun was still standing on the nightstand and he picked it on the way, feeling a bit better with the weapon closer to him. Once in the bathroom, he quickly washed off the sweat of the night before putting on clean clothes, deciding against changing his bandages right away. He then went back to the room, the wooden floor creaking under his feet. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning his attention onto the paneling of the room. The inn truly was older than he had first thought, but somebody knocking on the door stopped him from thinking any further about it.

He reached for his gun again, fingers closing around the handle, as three short knocks followed by two long knocks resonated against the wood of the door. Relaxing a little, he let go of his gun, put it in the holster attached to his belt and slowly made his way to the door before opening it.

Ollie stared at him from the corridor, a tray covered in steaming food between his hands.

“You look like shit,” he said simply as Richard let him enter the room before locking the door behind him again. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I spent the major part of the night being tossed around,” Richard answered truthfully before limping to his luggage, back turned on the small table where Ollie was arranging their dinner. “How come you’re so chirpy? Did you even get some sleep today?”

“Yes, Nanny, I took a nap and woke up an hour ago,” Ollie said with a roll of the eyes, but there was no heat in his gaze as he smiled at Richard. “I know how to take care of myself, you know.”

“Never said otherwise,” Richard mumbled before turning around, holding clean bandages and the elvish salve in his hands. “I’m just not sure I will be the best hunter you’ve ever worked with, tonight.”

“So kind of you to warn me,” Ollie said, calm eyes following Richard as he slowly made his way to one chair, dropping the bandages and salve on the table. “How are your ribs?”

“Not broken,” Richard said with a grimace before untying the bandages.

Ollie let out a little whistle at the sight and he could only agree with the feeling: his chest had turned into a purple, blue and yellow painting, with red scratches that he would have to keep an eye on in the following days. Sighing a little, he reached for the salve, before Ollie stopped him with one hand on the wrist, silently rising up.

“I hope you’re not thinking to go after the vampires nest like that,” Ollie said noncommittally as he started applying the salve on Richard’s wounds, careful not to press on the ugliest bruises.

Richard shrugged.

“I can handle it as long as you have my back,” he said truthfully before turning a little on his seat to stare at Ollie – and the faint echo of a bruise on his cheekbone. “You look like you had a little fun of your own, as well.”

“I took care of the ghouls the guild wanted us to look at, after the vampires nest,” he said, a bit distracted with the task at hand. “One woke up when I set their den on fire and threw rocks at me.”

“Must have been a big one,” Richard murmured, relaxing a little under Ollie’s gentle hands.

“A pebble fit for a cairn,” Ollie said quietly before taking his hands off. “Think you can do the front on your own?”

Richard nodded.

“Yes, thanks,” he said quietly as Ollie walked into the bathroom to wash his hands. “No problem with the ghouls, then?” he said a bit louder to be heard over the running water. “How long did it take you?”

“An hour to find the den and ten minutes to take care of it,” Ollie said in return. “I wanted to do some research in the town’s archives afterwards but didn’t even have to.”

He walked back into the room and dropped on his chair, grey eyes attentively following Richard’s movements.

“There was a selkies bar not far from here,” he said noncommittally.

Richard paused for a moment, raised his eyes to look at him, one eyebrow arching up.

“A selkies bar?” he repeated, a bit surprise. “How come you heard about it?”

“I didn’t,” Ollie went on in the same tone of voice. “I walked into it after the den, actually, I was a bit thirsty, you see.”

“And you walked in without any problem,” Richard went on, without asking – selkies bars usually weren’t open to mere mortals, but leave it to Ollie to walk in there as if he fit in.

“The ghouls had been bothering them quite a lot recently, and they were rather grateful to be rid of it,” Ollie went on, briefly meeting his eyes before looking at his bruises again. “I talked with one of the barmaids, and she was inclined to share some information.”

Richard nodded, finished applying the salve and turned his attention onto the clean bandages, efficiently wrapping himself up and making sure his ribs were held firmly in position without risking being jostled.

“Word already got out that a vampire hunter went after your nest,” Ollie started in a serious tone, worry flickering in his eyes. “Apparently, they’ve been ruling the night community of Lübeck for quite some time, now, and were already calling for revenge before the sun rose. The barmaid told me it was likely other vampires would come and help them shed blood on whomever insulted their pride.”

“Of course,” Richard mumbled before reaching for the food, annoyance crossing his face. “It would be too easy otherwise. Are you sure you can trust your selkie friend? It’s very convenient that she was there to tell you that…”

A shadow darkened Ollie’s face.

“Some vampires like the taste of fish,” he said in a very low voice, and Richard grimaced at his words.

So much for unity among the night community.

“Looking for a bit of revenge of their own, then, I’m assuming?” he said quietly, waiting for Ollie to start digging in his food.

Ollie nodded.

“From what she said, you’re the only hunter who went as far as actually harming them, so she thinks you have a good shot at finishing the job, as long as you know what to expect.”

_You_ , not we. Seemed that the lady assumed that she was closer to Ollie than he was, but he wasn’t going to address the slip of tongue.

“If they’re not alone anymore, and I don’t think they will, I will be needing your help if I don’t want to get turned into a midnight snack,” Richard said simply.

Ollie’s lips stretched into a smile and the tension in his shoulders disappeared.

“Of course,” he said quietly. “You know I wouldn’t let you walk in there on your own. It was already dangerous enough last night…”

Richard shrugged, and dug into his meal. The meat was perfectly cooked, covered in buttery mashed potatoes, and he was starving, all of a sudden.

“What’s done is done,” he said over his food. “Besides,” and he swallowed, voice sounding clearer, “without that, you wouldn’t have been able to get information from the selkies. It’s a win-win situation.”

Ollie hummed, lips pinched at his display of lack of table manners, but didn’t say anything about it, brows still slightly furrowed. Richard watched him in silence for a moment, wondering if it was best to nudge him or to wait in silence for him to speak.

He managed to empty half of his plate before curiosity got the better of him.

“Something else?” he asked innocently.

Ollie paused for a moment, eyes fixed on his plate before meeting his gaze.

“Apparently, a pack of werewolves settled uptown,” he said in a voice so low Richard had to strain to hear him.

He winced a little.

Sensitive topic, that one.

“Any idea on who they are?” he said, retaining his innocent tone.

He could play dumb if this was what Ollie needed of him – although he was well-aware that his friend had entered some quite of friendship, dangerously flirting with a _dalliance_ , with a werewolf, nothing had been officialized in front of his eyes.

Something had shifted in their relationship the last time their paths had come across those of the werewolf and his fellow pack members – if three werewolves could count as a _pack_ – and Ollie had been rather withdrawn over the damn thing, even though he had tried to hide it.

Richard wouldn’t have any qualms turning the werewolf in a carpet, if he ended up breaking his friend’s heart.

“She didn’t say,” Ollie said with a little sigh before raising his eyes to Richard, trying to hide his unhappiness. “It’s just… you know what the last werewolf we came across said. I don’t want vampires to hear that.”

Richard nodded. He personally wouldn’t have appreciated being told he smelled like _wet dog_ , but the werewolf hadn’t meant it in a bad way, if her wink had been anything to go by, and Ollie had blushed furiously. It had been as good no one from the guild had been around to hear about it, or they would have had some explanations to do, at the headquarters.

“We won’t have any reason to go uptown anyway,” he said calmly. “We’re not supposed to report to the governors’ board once the vampires are dealt with. It’s going to be fine, Ollie. The selkie didn’t comment on it, did she?”

“Selkies aren’t exactly renowned for their great sense of smell on land,” Ollie pointed out, his tone more amused.

Richard smirked.

“This is fine, then. Any preference on how to deal with the vampires nest?”

There was a grateful expression on Ollie’s face at the change of topic and they went over their plan of attack during the rest of the meal. They had no idea how many vampires might be there tonight and decided to pack as many weapons as possible, and ready themselves for a fight in close quarters. Both agreed on starting with the abandoned house, suspecting that the nest might want to erase the memory of the fight where it had happened – which was an advantage for them, as Richard could draw a layout of the house and warn Ollie of the potential traps they might run into.

Afterwards, Ollie stuck around for a while, more relaxed than before, an amused smile dancing on his lips as Richard took care of his ankle with a great amount of complains. The atmosphere was light and easy until Richard picked clean clothes from his luggage, stopping half-sentence as he drew out a dark shirt he had no memory of. 

“Something wrong with your shirt?” Ollie asked, one eyebrow raised.

“I have no memory of having bought that,” Richard said hesitantly, fingers gliding across the cloth.

It was a nice shirt, a dark silk he would have gone for if he had seen it in a tailor’s shop – and if he had had the money for it. Hunters’ wages weren’t high enough that he could afford that kind of fabric, unless he decided to save for it, and what money he put aside usually went towards his weapons – or shoes and coat. The red embroidery over the wrists caught his attention and he studied it cautiously, trying to make sense of the shapes – but nothing came out of it but red waves on black sea.

He heard the shuffle of clothes moving together and Ollie appeared at his shoulder, a frown on his face.

“Do you think it’s a trap?” he asked quietly.

Richard hesitated before shaking his head. People weren’t murdered through poisoned clothes anymore, and he didn’t know anyone who might hate him enough that they would decide to get rid of him like that.

“I suppose this is a gift, but it came without a card,” he finally said before putting the shirt aside and searching for another one.

A regular cotton one whose origin he was sure of.

“Who would you gift you a shirt made of silk?” Ollie asked, a bit incredulous, frown disappearing from his face in front of the pointed look Richard gave him, eyebrows wriggling. “No, don’t answer that, I don’t want to know which one of your admirers is involved.”

“I can name at least a few ladies who would love to spend an evening with you, if you gave them a chance,” Richard answered, distracted as he kept looking for a clean shirt. “You know they like the thrill of the hunt.”

Ollie scoffed.

“There’s no hunt in listening the baroness of something and the duke of whatever talk about politics,” he grumbled before plopping back on his chair, crossing his arms in front of him “I don’t know how you can stand it.”

“I like to roll in sheets made of silk,” Richard answered before a noise of victory escaped him.

Ollie scoffed again, but his amusement was obvious. He teased Richard for his taste in fancy bedchambers as the hunter kept preparing himself, first finished putting his clothes on, bandaging his still hurting ankle as well, and then picking all the weapons he would need. There was his gun holster, already in position, but also a few silver knives, two wooden spikes and a little box containing more bullets as well as a few matchsticks. Ollie left him briefly afterwards, going back to his room to get changed and pick his weapons as well, and they meet again downstairs, ready for the hunt.

They left the inn as the sun was settling down, and nobody paid any attention to two men wearing long coats with hoods drawn over their heads. They decided to take a few detours at first, in case somebody decided to follow them, and walked closer to the center of the city, where streets were marginally more animated. The human population was mingling together, ignoring the presence of the nightlife around them. Humanlike creatures were no secret, but authorities tended to keep under wraps their presence as long as it didn’t put too much of a risk for the population. Vampires and werewolves tended to be the biggest threats – and henceforth main targets of the hunters’ guild – but horror stories of massive deaths tended to be rare.

As far as public knowledge was concerned.

The authorities seldom cared when the most destitute communities were targeted, and Richard had himself been paid on more than one occasion by a public fundraiser to get rid of a particular night creature that had decided to feed among civilians abandoned by those who were supposed to protect them.

Thankfully, Lübeck didn’t seem to be in such a dire situation – it was the governors’ board that had asked the guild for help, after all, and Richard always preferred that kind of situation, where he knew they were more likely to have back-up than to have to avoid the police forces as well.

Stars were shining bright in the sky by the time they reached the abandoned house. The neighborhood looked as decrepit that day than it had been the day before, and Richard felt rather grateful that Ollie was there with him. There were days, after hunts, where he liked to pretend he could handle the situation on his own, even though he knew he couldn’t, and Ollie had always let him get along with it, rolling his eyes with only a minimal amount of sarcasm. Tonight, though, he didn’t feel like pretending, and was rather glad to have his friend at his side. Considering his injuries, he knew he wasn’t in a shape good enough to tackle three injured and very pissed off vampires – especially if they had called upon other vampires to enact revenge on him as well.

The house was even more gloomy and Richard stepped in it carefully, Ollie following close behind. They inspected the ground level without noticing anything usual, before taking up the stairs that creaked ominously and then inspected the first floor. Everything seemed to be empty and a scowl of annoyance made its apparition on Richard’s face. They ended their tour in the destroyed room where Richard had fought the vampires the night before, and he limped to one of the destroyed armchairs, eager to give some rest to his throbbing ankle. His ribs were reminded themselves to him as well and he focused on his breathing, trying to push the away. A small smile of compassion stretched Ollie’s lips before he turned his attention on the faded paintings still hung to the wall, interest showing plenty on his face.

“It’s really funny how some vampires are so sentimental about their past and others couldn’t care less,” Ollie finally said after a few minutes spent staring at the same painting. “Do you remember, when we spent three months crossing the Fürstenberger forest?”

Richard grunted in agreement, keeping one ear on the sounds of the street outside. There was a faint smell of sewers inside the house that he hadn’t noticed upon his arrival and he wondered if it was due to the wind that started to rise outside, carrying the smells of the street inside, or something else.

“The abandoned castle,” he said in a low voice, frowning at the disgusting smell.

It _stunk_ – like rotting flesh…

“Yes, that one. The owner was the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of the founder, and he still came around for Sunday lunches.”

“The gallery of family paintings was something,” Richard said with a little whistle, remembering all too well that particular mission.

Getting rid of the vampire had been a real pain in the ass, and the charming lady of the castle had tried to murder them in return. They had barely escaped with their lives, and had avoided going back in the region ever since. Which was too bad, because they both quite enjoyed it – maybe they would have to return, one day…

“How come you’re thinking about them, now?” Richard asked with curiosity.

Ollie slowly turned on his feet, staring at him with one eyebrow raised.

“I am certain this house belongs to the descendants of one of the vampires of your little nest,” he said quietly.

Richard shrugged, suddenly remembering the information on his report.

“Used to belong,” he amended. “It was sold more than a decade ago, but the new owners never came to live in it and it has been left abandoned ever since. Something about a blood curse – I think it was used as a lair long before the descendant got rid of it.”

Ollie nodded thoughtfully before pointing in the direction of the corridor, where the stench seemed to have intensified.

“I’m guessing the old owner has been living there intermittently, then. Hence why they were so pissed off you decided to attack them here.”

Richard shrugged again before a soft sound downstairs got his attention, and he gestured towards it, noticing how Ollie had straightened at the same time. The stench of putrefied, rotting flesh suddenly reached their nostrils with a renewed furor and both made the same disgusted expression, taken aback by the atrocious smell.

“How sentimental they can be, sometimes,” Richard mumbled before slowly moving to his feet, putting one hand on the handle of his gun.

Bullets made of iron and drenched into holy water had more his favor than a sword that, sadly, tended to be a little impractical in close fights (or so he thought, because he had met a fair share of hunters who disagreed). The weight of his wooden stakes and silver daggers reminded him he was well-prepared, and it eased his nerves a little, fingers

Not that he had came without his wooden stake and silver blades – preparation was key – but his gun had his favor ever since he had first gotten it.

Ollie barely had the time to hum in agreement at his words before the wall next to which Richard was standing exploded into a cloud of dust and rotting wallpaper, fragments of bricks flying around. The two hunters threw themselves to the ground, avoiding getting knocked out by the bricks, before jumping back on their feet, already shooting at their assailants.

The three vampires Richard expected to see hadn’t come alone, and he groaned inwardly at the realization they had a dozen blood-suckers roaming around them, eager for blood. Some were young, still unused to their powers, while others, although more assured in their every move, were clearly past their prime and endurance. All were famished, skeleton-like creatures, far less dangerous than vampires at the top of their game.

Two went down into a cloud of ashes as soon as bullets hit them, their destruction throwing the rest of the clan in a frenzy. Richard swore loudly as the three vampires he had fought against the day before lunged at him with the clear intent of hurting him badly before killing him, and he only managed to keep all of his limbs intact by rolling under the remnants of the furniture before shooting again, barely sparing a glance at Ollie who was fighting against four vampires.

There was something oddly hypnotizing in watching him duel night creatures, keeping them away from him with his swords, and Richard was all too glad he was used to fight along his friend. He had seen more than one hunter get distracted by Ollie’s talents with a blade and get injured as a consequence. The sharp, metallic _clang_ of swords dancing together told him all that he needed to know about Ollie’s handle of the duel – he was on top of it, but not drawing it out, rather aiming to fatally wound, if not kill – and he focused on the vampires going after him instead.

He managed to shoot at three other vampires, two of them turning into dust also, before being violently thrown against a destroyed couch, a short yelp of pain escaping him as he felt his injured ribs being jostled. He quickly rolled on one shoulder, barely escaping the vampire that had jumped on him, and realized only too late the creature’s claws had pierced through his clothes, drawing blood.

A massive cloud of smoke and dust arose, followed by Ollie coughing, and he kicked the vampire that had come close to him before firing at it again. He missed his target by a long shot, pain radiating all over his arm, and decided to change of method, now using his gun as a close-range weapon rather than shoot and possibly harm, whose position he couldn’t make of anymore with the smoke floating in the room.

“You are _dead_ , hunter,” one of the vampires hissed at him, fangs shining bright into the darkness of the room, slowly walking up to him.

“Fuck off,” Richard mumbled, one hand searching among his pockets for the little box of matchlights he was always carrying.

Another chuckled, the low sound rolling like a snake slithering on the ground.

“Oh, you are certainly useful for that,” the creature grinded between clenched teeth, a huge hole present on his face where his cheek had been.

Richard stopped mid-gesture, taken aback by the insinuation of the vampires – and then by the very human scream of pain that pierced the room.

That one moment of hesitation was all they had been waiting for and the three vampires jumped on him in a fury of fangs and claws, tearing at his clothes, trying to get him to show his neck. Adrenaline surged through him and he violently hit one with his gun, making the vampire scream in pain as sanctified silver touched its skin, desperately writhing from their hold.

He vaguely heard an exclamation of surprise coming from the other side of the room, the sound of a gun firing in the room and then yelps of outraged surprise as two of the vampires were violently thrown away from him. Taking advantage of the surprise of the remaining one, he quickly hit it in the face before grabbing his knife and stabbing it through the heart, watching it turn into a putrefied skeleton in a few seconds before bones turned to dust.

A familiar black cape briefly caught his attention before smoke arose and he quickly turned towards Ollie, who was in a rather bad position, blood dripping from his left shoulder, slowing his movements. He threw his knife against the back of one of his fourth assailant, a feral smirk stretching his lips as he watched it turn into smoke before he aimed at another vampire and shot his last bullet.

The creature went down in a cloud of smoke, quickly accompanied by another putrefying corpse turning into dust, before Ollie fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. The two vampires that remained jumped on him with an avid expression on their distorted faces before suddenly being attacked by a massive frame, the silver glint of a knife breaching the darkness. Richard barely had the time to blink before the creatures turned into massive clouds of dust, screeching screams of pain promising a painful revanche to their assailants.

Richard painstakingly moved into a sitting position, not quite comprehending what had just happened. The fight probably hadn’t taken more than a few minutes, and yet it felt as if hours had gone by, considering how exhausted he was, fresh blood still running down his sleeve. Ollie didn’t look much better, his face livid under the dust and grime and blood covering it, fingers clenched so tightly around the handle of his gun that Richard could see the strain from the other side of the room.

The expression on Ollie’s face was nothing he had ever seen before – a mixture of fear, fascination and disdain – and he slowly turned his gaze in the direction where the other hunter was looking at.

Standing in the shadows of the darkest corner of the room, a tall, massive figure covered by a black hooded cape from head to toe was nudging at a little pile of dust on the wooden floor, the glint of the moonlight reflecting on the buckle of a black leather boot.

_Till._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Till's unexpected arrival brings its lot of surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 29/12/2020 : added a couple of paragraphs towards the end of the chapter.

_Till._

The realization sent a thrill down his spine and Richard relaxed slightly at the sight, feeling oddly secure in the knowledge they wouldn’t have to face another opponent – one much more dangerous than the feeble creatures they had just gotten rid of.

Not sure he would be able to remain sat without support, he shuffled closer to a destroyed armchair barely standing upright not far, leaning against with a little sigh of relief. His ribs were throbbing with a renewed ardor and he could feel pain pulsing all over his body with each breath he took. He moved to the side to reach his knife, that had fallen on the ground in the last seconds of the fight, a little grunt of pain escaping him at the gesture.

This got the attention of the other occupants of the room. Ollie finally took his eyes off the vampire, still very pale, shifting slightly on the ground where he was sitting until he was aiming his gun at the vampire, arm loose. Whether it was due to pain or to a certain reluctance to shoot first and ask questions later – which would be rather unlike Ollie – Richard didn’t know, but a sense of unease started going down his spine.

Till, on the other hand, turned on his heels, showing his back to the other hunter, apparently unbothered by the gun pointed at him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before drawing back the hood of his cape, a show of non-aggression that had Ollie squinting at him.

“It was a stupid idea to come back here,” Till finally said in a low voice.

His eyes slowly went over Richard’s body, stopping to catalogue his injuries.

“But at least you had the good sense not to come alone,” he added once he was done, finally meeting Richard’s gaze.

He shivered under the focus of forest green eyes, feeling his cheeks flare up a little.

“I am not entirely stupid,” he grumbled, trying to keep up the façade, all too aware of Ollie’s glare burning a hole behind Till’s head.

Still worried about the confrontation that might arose, he tried to get up, legs wobbling with strain and exhaustion under his weight, before giving out. He would have crashed on the ground had the vampire not crossed the room in the blink of an eye, catching him before his fall, hands warm and firm around his waist.

Richard swayed a little on his feet, one hand instinctively reaching out to hold onto a muscled forearm, raising his eyes a little to stare at the vampire. From up close, there wasn’t a hair out of place on his outfit, and he looked as impassive as usual, save for the fire burning in his eyes.

Till’s hand was cold as it settled on his cheek and Richard felt his blush worsen in front of the intensity in the vampire’s eyes. He watched with fascination as his eyes darkened a little, obviously taking in a huge inspiration as fingers trailed down his cheek and then on his neck, goosebumps rising in their wake. He shivered a little at the coldness against his skin, unconsciously holding tighter on the vampire’s forearm as Till was obviously smelling him.

“They hurt you,” he finally said in a low voice, brows burrowing in a frown.

He rested two fingers over Richard’s pulse, looking intensely in his eyes as Richard felt his heartbeat quicken.

“I’ve had worse,” Richard murmured, utterly bewitched by his gaze.

Till hummed quietly before gently cupping the back of his head, nudging him to tilt his head a little, showing off his neck. Richard went along willingly, a little weak in the knees, feeling as if nothing else existed in the world as Till’s eyes trailed down his neck, obviously searching for bite marks.

Ollie’s boots scraped loudly against the wooden floor on the other side of the room.

“Get your hands off him,” he said in a very cold voice.

Jerking as if he had been hit, Richard turned his head to look at him and tried to take a step back. Till held him in position for one moment longer before reluctantly letting him go, hand hovering around his waist before settling behind his back, ready to held him upright should he need it. Richard coughed, trying to regain his countenance, and took another step backward before leaning against the frame of the armchair, already missing the proximity of the vampire’s body next to his.

Till watched him do in silence before turning towards Ollie, his face a blank mask once more, shoulders turning tense under his cape.

Ollie’s gun was firmly pointed towards his heart and Richard instinctively tensed, reaching for his own gun – before Till took a step away from him, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture.

“I mean him no harm,” he said quietly, voice almost soft.

Ollie snorted – a harsh, bitter sound that did nothing to ease Richard’s uneasiness.

“Sure you don’t,” he said in a low voice, still squinting at Till, a cold expression gracing his face. “I know what people like _you_ like to do to humans.”

Till tilted his head to the side and stared at him for a moment. Richard watched him and then Ollie – whose stony face was nothing like he had ever seen before – before going back to Till, wondering what was happening. He was clearly missing a big part of the conversation, but unless someone spoke up, he couldn’t really intervene…

“I have never influenced Richard’s free will in any way,” Till finally said as silence had turned to be almost choking the room.

Ollie frowned and tightened his hold over his gun.

“Ollie,” Richard murmured.

Ollie seemed not to have heard for a moment before slowly, ever so slowly, turning his head towards him. Richard held his gaze in silence, a confused expression on his face, trying to decipher the turmoil he could see in his friend’s eyes.

“I know what I’m doing,” he said quietly.

Ollie snorted.

“You know who you’re doing,” he said crudely before turning his attention back onto Till.

Who was still studying him with careful eyes, a thoughtful expression on his face. Richard watched his profile, noticed the way his nostrils suddenly widened – one eyebrow rising, a look of surprise on his face.

“Hu”, he said, lacking the eloquence Richard was used to hear from him.

He stared at Ollie one second longer and then turned to look at Richard, one eyebrow still raised. Richard blinked, confusion morphing into perplexity, before looking at Ollie, who had turned even paler, if it was possible.

His hand started shaking slightly.

Till looked at them again, obviously figuring something out.

“Ah,” he said, before nodding a little – and brushing the show of aggression aside. “I do not like to smell other vampires over Richard, that is all.”

“What?” Richard said, understanding even less what the hell was going on. “I don’t smell of other vampires! Hell, I don’t even smell of vampires at all! Period!”

“Calm down,” Ollie said in his direction, voice shaking slightly, eyes still focused on Till.

“You do, a bit,” Till said at the same time.

Outraged, Richard looked at them before crossing his arms in front of him, a sour expression on his face. Till seemed to relax a little his reaction, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Ollie seemed to hesitate for a moment and finally lowered his gun, Adam’s apple visibly bobbing up and down.

“I do not smell of vampires,” Richard repeated grumpily.

“You do smell a bit of those who tried to kill you,” Till said quietly. “You fought in close quarters, after all. Did one of them try to bite you?”

“Yeah,” Richard mumbled, not quite meeting his eyes before turning to look at Ollie.

His nerves were frayed, that much was obvious, but he seemed to have regained some control of himself. Richard felt a bit more serene, seeing him looking calmer, closer to his usual attitude, and relaxed slightly at the sight. Ollie met his eyes, tried to smile – without much success – and reached for his swords, using one of them as a cane while getting up.

He seemed to have made up his mind about _something_ – whatever had happened while he had tried to threaten a vampire, damnit, what the hell was going on with him? – and was now every inch the unflappable hunter Richard knew in a professional setting.

“I am surprised you decided to intervene into that fight in our favor,” Ollie finally said to Till in a calm voice.

Richard was surprised at his words, considering what he had insinuated just before – that Richard had been put under influence, as vampires sometimes did with their human pets, and had it been anyone else, he would have broken their nose – but decided to let him handle the conversation, now that he seemed more likely not to murder Till on the spot.

His ankle was flaming up again and he put all of his weight on his other leg, trying to hide the pain as cold sweat went down his spine.

Walking back to the inn was going to be difficult.

“Some of us thought it a bad idea for our entire community to come after hunters,” Till said calmly, eyes drifting to Richard’s face for one brief moment before staring at Ollie again. “The governors’ board invitation was not excessive, considering the current situation in the city, and the response has so far been fitting. And we do not want to have to deal with your entire guild on a quest for revenge. The most sensible of us know how that usually turns out.”

In fire and blood and even less tolerance than before for night creatures. Sometimes it was limited to a city, other times to an entire region, and in the worst cases of all…

Yeah, Richard knew of countries where it wasn’t good to be a night creature, even (relatively) harmless ones.

“Mmh.”

Ollie pinched his lips, staring at the vampire in silence for a moment before nodding, apparently decided to take his words at face value. The change in attitude was jarring but Richard suspected there was something at play – something he wasn’t privy to.

Something that had probably to do with Ollie’s very own nature.

“Very well,” he said quietly. “Thank you for your help, then. Our work here is done, so we will leave.”

“I would advise against going back to your inn,” Till said in the same tone, shoulders relaxing a fraction more. “The owner was on the payroll of one the vampires you just got rid of.”

Both Richard and Ollie grimaced at the same time. Well, that meant bad news for them – especially as their belongings were still there…

“I took the liberty to retrieve your bags and bring them somewhere safer. If you want to accompany me to get them…?”

“So kind of you to offer,” Richard mumbled before meeting Ollie’s eyes.

His friend looked fairly conflicted, eyes jumping between the two of them before finally nodding almost imperceptibly.

Richard took an inspiration and straightened himself, trying to move away from the support of the armchair without letting on his wounds. Fresh blood started dripping down his sleeve again and he sighed loudly at the sight before hearing soft footsteps and the sound of clothes shifting away. Raising his eyes, he realized Till had moved away slightly, head turned in the opposite direction. Richard stared at him, a bit baffled by his reaction – fresh blood had never been an issue before – before shrugging and looking at Ollie, who was now watching the vampire with a thoughtful expression gracing his face.

“If you don’t mind being seen with us, then yes, thank you for the offer,” Ollie finally said.

Till nodded silently before moving in direction of the staircases, obviously waiting for them to move. Both hunters slowly took hold of their dispersed weapons before Richard awkwardly limped towards Ollie. All drew their hoods on again before slowly making their way downstairs, the two hunters holding onto another one to avoid falling down on the ground while the vampire was following them silently. He guided them through the empty rooms of the destroyed house until they reached the veranda at the back, the abandoned garden sprawling out into darkness. Richard hesitated there, bothered by the lack of light. Not a sound could be heard and he felt Ollie stiffen next to him, holding more tightly on his arm for support. Till stared at them in silence, eyes glinting within the darkness of his hood, before jumping over the two steps required to get into the garden. Sighing a little, Ollie took a step forward, Richard begrudgingly following him.

The walk through the garden was even slower, the two of them extremely careful where they were stepping in. Till remained silent all the way in, watching them without showing any sign of impatience until they reached the day, where a small, wooden door rotting on its hinges stood closed. It squeaked as it opened and they quickly went through it, ending up onto an empty back street.

A little carriage that had known better days was waiting for them. Richard eyed it doubtfully, exchanged a look with Ollie – yeah, neither of them felt very much confident of the fact it wasn’t going to break down in the middle of the road – before tentatively stepping it towards it.

Till opened the door, stood next to it, waiting for them to get into the carriage – and Richard noticed the movement under his cape, as if he had been ready to offer his hand to help get into it before thinking any better –then closing the door behind them. Richard heard him walk around and take the place of the coachman’s place, talking softly to the horses to get them to start moving.

The inside of the carriage was exactly as Richard expected it to be: old and dusty, a faint smell of mold sticking to its inner velvet linings. Neither hunter commented on it, too tired by the fight – and all too aware their conversation was being listened to.

“Your liaison isn’t as much as a secret as you thought,” Ollie finally said as Richard was being slowly lulled to sleep.

His eyes opened immediately at the soft tone of his friend’s voice. Ollie’s paleness had abated a little but was still slightly present, and there was a concerned expression on his face that had Richard worrying.

“I had no idea I actually _smelled_ of Till,” Richard in a quiet tone, a bit bothered. “I mean, he is a vampire, isn’t he? It’s not the kind of marks they’re supposed to leave…”

Ollie blinked.

“It happens, when you spend a lot of time with them,” he said in the same tone before looking away.

Richard frowned.

“How come you know about that?” he asked curiously. “It’s not the kind of information that’s common knowledge, even among hunters…”

“I heard about it in my travels,” Ollie said without volunteering more information.

Richard stared at him in silence for a moment before nodding.

Fine.

If Ollie didn’t want to give him more, he wouldn’t ask. Years of friendship had shown this was the best method to get him to speak up. Besides, he still looked unsettled enough by the fight – and the following conversation – that Richard wasn’t inclined to push any further.

“I hope other creatures can’t smell it too,” he quietly before nudging Ollie’s knee with his own.

As most carriages, this one was a tad too small for Ollie and he had to bend slightly to sit mostly comfortably. Even though they were on opposite banquettes, it was small enough that their legs could touch, if they wished it so.

“It’s okay,” he went on, trying to a little. “For now, it’s an advantage rather than a hindrance.”

The look of concern on Ollie’s face didn’t budge.

“It won’t last,” he said quietly. “You don’t know if _he_ ,” and he jerked his head in direction of the vampire, “has enemies, and if one of them will decide to use you to get through him. It’s already bad enough that vampires figured it out during our fight…”

Richard shrugged.

“You become a target as soon as you get close to people, especially in our line of work,” he said quietly before putting his hand on Ollie’s knee, squeezing it gently. “How many of us have gotten in trouble because of whom we’re sleeping with? The guild’s records are filled with stories like that. We can’t live like hermits. It’s not a life, Ollie.”

Ollie stared at him in silence and he sighed a little before squeezing his knee again.

“Besides, I can count on my friends to have my back, and they can count on me to have their back, too, should the need arise.”

Ollie stared at him in silence for a few seconds, the focus in his grey eyes enough to make Richard shiver a little, before smiling as well, a soft, gentle smile that spoke of utter vulnerability.

“Of course,” he said quietly before squeezing Richard’s hand and then leaning back against the wooden panel of the carriage. “You can always count on me, Richard.”

“And the feeling is mutual, I hope you know that,” Richard said in a determined voice, waiting for Ollie to nod before leaning back as well.

He almost dozed off during the rest of the ride, praying for a warm bath and a comfortable bed. The streets were mostly empty and he didn’t hear anyone commenting on the appearance of the carriage – which, for all everyone knew, only belonged to someone who didn’t have the means to buy a newer one, without any foul thoughts attached to it – and he felt his guard relax a little.

He tried to follow the path of the carriage through the streets but only managed to figure out they had gone back to the inner center of the city, in a neighborhood filled with huge mansions and private hotels. Ollie still looked concerned – but this time apparently more because of where they were heading to – and kept one hand over his gun, swords back in their sheaths. They remained silent until they reached the inner courtyard of a private hotel. The carriage stopped in front of what appeared to be the stables and they both sat a bit straighter on the couches until the door opened.

Ollie got out first, obviously scanning their new surroundings for a threat, and then Richard followed him, obviously limping as he trudged down the steps. Till took hold of his arm as he set foot on the paving stones of the courtyard, steadying him as pain flared up in his ankle, before letting go. Richard looked around, but the night was still so dark that Richard couldn’t make much of it, except for the usual impression of stiffness that came from that kind of building. Ollie, on the other hand, was still staring at it with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“This way,” Till said quietly before moving in the direction of a small wooden door.

A service door, Richard soon realized as they stepped into a corridor so dark he had to stop for a moment – at least until a candle was lit and Till took hold of the candleholder. He, of course, didn’t need the feeble source of light, but Richard felt oddly reassured by the small flame – and, going by the sharp intake of breath behind him, he wasn’t the only one.

The walk up the small, wooden staircase was a slow and painful affair but Till didn’t comment on it, only slowing down to follow their pace. The hotel seemed silent in the dead of the night and they were careful not to make too much noise, the sound of their breathing almost too loud.

The stairs seemed never ending and Richard was almost ready to beg for them to stop as they finally reached the fifth floor. It wasn’t even the domestics’ floor, he quickly realized – there was another, smaller staircase that led to an upstairs floor – but this one seemed already less magnificent than the others they had seen, only judging by the door leading to the main corridor.

Here, the door was simply painted in light grey, and opened in silence. Till guided them through it, the candlelight now useless with the new moon shining brightly through the windows. The howl of a wolf broke into the night and both Richard and Ollie went into a protective stance, hand jumping to their guns, before relaxing a little, similar expressions of embarrassment on their face.

A chuckled escaped the vampire as he turned towards them.

“You are entirely safe here,” he promised them gently, eyes twinkling. “I invited you and no harm comes to guests here.”

“Right,” Richard mumbled while Ollie was frowning next to him, one hand at the back of his arm for support.

“This isn’t your hotel?”

Till shook his head.

“It belongs to a friend of mine. A living one,” he added with the ghost of a smirk. “Be assured, you won’t risk anything.”

“Of course,” Ollie murmured, doubt coloring his tone, before he nudged Richard forward.

It was only a few steps before they reached the middle of the corridor, where two twin doors were standing side by side. The vampire stopped there and gestured for the hunters to walk in, himself remaining in the corridor. Ollie hesitated for a brief moment before stepping in, taking the candleholder as it was offered to him. Richard briefly peeked at it before leaning against the corridor’s wall, feeling a bit dizzy as pain was threatening to overwhelm him.

“There is a small bathroom between your two rooms,” Till explained. “It is accessible from each room, but I assumed you would prefer to have your privacy.”

“Of course,” Ollie murmured before turning to look at him, eyes glowing strangely in the dim light of the candle. “Our _privacy_.”

Richard didn’t miss the sarcasm in his voice but refrained from saying anything, wondering why his friend was so hostile to the vampire – who was offering them a safe refuge!

Till, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered as he kept speaking.

“Your bags should be at the foot of the bed. A small collation is on the nightstand, too. Breakfast will be served starting seven in the morning.”

He paused for a moment.

“There are other residents within the hotel,” he went on in a softer voice. “They shouldn’t bother you tonight, but you might seem them in the morning. Please don’t be surprised if such is the case.”

“Of course,” both Ollie and Richard said.

“Richard’s room is next door,” Till added. “Good night, Oliver.”

Ollie stared at him for a moment, obviously taken aback by the fact the vampire knew how name, before frowning a little and bidding them a good night as well. He closed the door quietly and Richard waited for a few seconds before turning his attention on the vampire, who offered his arm in silence. Richard hesitated briefly before taking it – showing his weakness to a vampire went against everything he had been taught. Till, though, didn’t comment on it, only adjusted the pace of his walk as they slowly made their way to the next door.

It had only been a few steps but Richard could feel his legs burning with the strain, sweat running down his spine. He was fully leaning against Till by the time they crossed the threshold, pain blinding his side, rendering him indifferent to the room as the vampire helped him to the bed.

He focused on his breathing as he felt two cold hands help him sit up on a firm mattress covered by a comfortable blanket, the sound of his panting resonating loudly in the other silent room.

Till stood next to him, waiting for him to catch his breath, and then letting him take in his new surroundings. One lone candle was alit on the nightstand next to the bed, and he saw the dark form of a wardrobe and its associated cabinet on one corner of the room, with a small desk and its chair standing on the other corner. Heavy curtains were covering the wall opposite the door, probably blocking the light coming from the window, and he thought there were also tapestries covering the walls.

What he could see of it, anyway.

There was also a small tray placed next to the candleholder, with a collation on it, and he briefly wondered if Ollie’s room was as comfortable as his own before finally spotting his bags at the end of the bed.

“This is nice,” he finally said after a time. “Looks more comfortable than what I expected, from the corridor.”

Till blinked.

“You will find this house to be rather surprising, then,” he said quietly in return. “Would you like more light?”

“Please,” Richard murmured.

Till nodded, took the candleholder and moved around the room to lit up the candlestick sitting on top of the desk, before appearing back in front of Richard’s eyes, delicately putting the candleholder back onto the nightstand. A few strands of black hair fell in front of his eyes as he straightened and Richard was suddenly moved by the urge to brush them away, but remained where he was.

Forest green eyes settled on him and he blinked, losing himself in the immensity there.

“The nest you and your friend took on was becoming a liability,” Till finally said in a low voice. “We would have taken care of it ourselves, but the governors like it when they feel they have a modicum of control on us.”

Richard blinked again and shook his head, before the meaning of his words slowly entered the fog of pain and exhaustion surrounding his mind.

“You let us do the dirty job to keep more leeway in the city,” he mumbled after a time before grimacing and putting a hand to his ribs.

Till’s black cape shifted as if a breeze had suddenly appeared in the closed room, but the vampire remained silent.

“So that’s why you’ve been sticking around,” Richard said with sudden realization, too tired to get annoyed. “You wanted to make sure we wouldn’t mess the job.”

“No,” Till corrected quickly, keeping his voice low and slow. “I know what you can do. The governors’ board had a little help in writing their letter to the guild.”

He tilted his head to the side, green eyes piercing Richard’s soul.

“I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t die, that is all.”

Richard stared at him for a moment before looking away. The fame of the lone candle was shivering in the room and he focused on it, trying to make sense of the mass of conflicted feelings in his head.

His entire body hurt.

“Well, I’m still alive,” he finally said with a bragging tone that sounded hollow even to his ears.

Till didn’t look impressed. Richard raised his head to look at him again.

“A bit banged up, but I’ve had worse,” he went on, tired and desirous to clean the mix of grim and dried blood sticking to his skin.

He tried scratching it away but immediately stopped as the vampire’s eyes followed his gesture, a cold caress on his sensitive skin – it was stupid of him to think so, of course, but his mind was foggy with exhaustion, pain and hunger.

He couldn’t shake the vague sense of unease brought by the knowledge Till was so intent on keeping him alive that he had kept watching over him, over his own brethren.

He wasn’t so unaware of vampires’ ways that he didn’t know what it meant, when one of them decided to favor over fellow creatures. Especially a hunter…

“You will need a few days of rest, if you want to leave the city in peace,” Till finally said once the silence had stretched out between them. “There are a few newborns around here who would think it a good idea to jump on banged-up hunters after they got rid of a nest.”

Richard grimaced. He had met that kind of newly turned creatures too often in his career to his taste, and they were some of the worst opponents – that mix of stupidity and cowardice usually made for drawn-out fights that worsened his injuries more often than not.

“Thanks for the tip,” he mumbled before looking away from Till again. “And thank you for letting us stay here. We appreciate that.”

Unable to stop himself, he stared at Till again, as the vampire tilted his head once more, something flickering in his eyes.

“My pleasure,” he said in a soft tone. “Get some rest, now. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

He glanced over Richard’s body with an intent focus.

“Unless you need help with your wounds?”

Richard hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. He had had worse, and as long as he could have a bath with Ollie’s miraculous vial to soothe his aches, he thought he could manage.

“No, thank you,” he finally said. “I won’t hold you back any longer. Surely you have business to attend with…” he hesitated for a moment “with those who wanted to get rid of that nest as well.”

Till nodded. He seemed to ponder over something for a brief moment before taking the two steps that separated them and reaching for Richard’s neck, forcing him to slightly tilt his head back before bending to kiss him. It was harsh and demanding, full of teeth and Richard yelped a little before following Till’s lead and opening his mouth, letting himself being kissed by a forceful urgency that ignited something deep within his gut. His hands moved of their own volition, one to hold on Till’s wrist, the other grabbing onto his cape. Till forced him to tilt his head back even more, his hand cupping Richard’s cheek, kissing the breath out of him – intent and powerful and a promise for more.

He moaned into the kiss, feeling a bit light-headed from lack of air, before suddenly yelping as two fangs bit on his tongue, the blood pearling up immediately sucked away. He pushed Till away none too gently, very much aware of the blood dripping on his lower lip and then on his fingers as he put them to his mouth, a furious expression his face. The vampire looked suddenly come to life in front of him, towering over him with a fire in his eyes that only served to intensify the burning sensation in Richard’s stomach.

He could feel his blood pimping in his ears, a thrill of excitation going down his spine.

Oh, he was _so_ screwed.

“There, much better,” Till said in a low voice before caressing Richard’s lip with his thumb, eyes glinting in the dim light of the room.

There were a few drops of fresh blood on his finger and Richard watching him suck it away before stepping back, looking both hungry and sated at the same time. He cupped Richard’s cheek one last time, cold fingers trailing along his skin in a tender caress, the burning look in his eyes turning into something warmer – something that he would have dared call _affection_ , if it had been anyone else.

Richard looked at him in silence, trying to decipher his thoughts, still feeling the ghost of Till’s fangs against his tongue.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and didn’t miss the way Till’s hand tightened against his neck – the pressure light, but there nonetheless. Two jarring emotions unexpectedly battled on the vampire’s face and Richard panted slightly, the sound loud in the otherwise silent room.

Till’s resolve crumbled then.

“Please,” he murmured in a very low voice, his thumb pressing against Richard’s neck, right where his blood was pumping furiously.

“I –” Richard said before absentmindedly licking his lips. “Yes.”

The word had barely left his mouth than Till was on him again, one hand tugging at the collar of his shirt before stripping his shoulder to get a better access to his neck. Richard yelped a little at the sudden gesture, nervously grabbed the vampire by the panels of his cape to refrain from falling against the mattress. Till’s free hand moved to his hip to keep him where he was, the position forcing him to arch his back slightly.

A little gasp escaped him as the vampire’s fangs piercing the skin of neck, drawing blood immediately.

“Fuck,” he muttered, tightening his grip on the piece of cloth he was holding onto for dear life.

Till pressed their bodies closer together, sucking and licking at the blood he had drawn to the surface, the sound resonating in Richard’s head. He felt lightheaded, all of a sudden, and he half-wondered if Till was going to bleed him dry against the mattress, still feeding on him were he to pass out.

Bright spots of color started dancing in front of his eyes, and he released his grasp on the vampire’s cape, eyes closing of their own volition – and Till’s suddenly vanished from his neck.

“Breathe,” a silklike voice murmured against his ear.

A pair of cold, slightly wet lips pressed at the junction between neck and throat, once, twice, three times before he opened his eyes again, dizzy, his heart beating fast.

He blinked a few times to get used to the darkness of the room once more, before realizing Till was still holding him into a sitting position, one hand cupped behind his head, while the other had moved from his hip to is back, making sure he was still mostly upright.

The vampire’s lips were shining with blood.

His blood.

“You are alright,” Till murmured, still cradling his weakened body.

Richard blinked again.

“How much blood did you take from me?” he asked, tone less accusatory that it ought to be.

“Not enough to cause you any harm,” the vampire answered calmly, the heat in his eyes having abated and turned into something Richard didn’t want to decipher. “But you are more weakened from your fight than I realized. It was a lot at once.”

“No kidding,” Richard muttered, feeling his strength come back to him slowly.

Till smiled again, fangs shining in the dim light.

“It was merely an appetizer for me,” he said in a low voice that caused heat to pool at the bottom of Richard’s stomach.

Two cold fingers drifted against his cheek again and Richard slightly leaned into the touch.

“You have given me far more, on other occasions,” Till went on, still pining him under his forest-green gaze.

“It’s more enjoyable when I’m more rested,” Richard pointed out, feeling the mist of fatigue and blood loss disappearing from his mind.

“That it is,” the vampire murmured.

The promise in his eyes was enough to send a shiver down Richard’s spine and he tensed a little, the hunger deep within battling against his exhaustion. But no, he clearly wasn’t in a state to go any further – had already pushed his body to its limits by allowing Till to feed on him – and he would have to be reasonable.

At least for the time being.

His thoughts seemed to be written on his face, and he felt the vampire’s hand caress his face one last time before straightening. Richard let go of his coat to remain in a sitting position on the bed, watching as the vampire took one step back and then another.

They watched each other in silence for a moment.

“Goodnight now Richard,” Till said in a low voice before disappearing from the room, the door closing behind him the only proof he hadn’t _literally_ vanished.

Richard stared at the closed door for a moment before running a hand in his hair, a loud sigh escaping him. Suddenly he regretted that Till had gone already – would have preferred for the vampire to remain here, at least a bit longer.

Groaning, he let himself fall on the mattress before hissing in pain as his injuries suddenly reminded themselves to him, none too happy at having been ignored for so long. He breathed out vigorously, both annoyed at himself and trying to get the pain under control, before tentatively sitting up on the bed again and then limping to his bags. He bent down with a hiss of pain, not trying to keep up his façade anymore, and reached for his bag of toiletries before limping in direction of the bathroom.

Ollie had already been in there and had managed to clean himself in the time it had took Richard to talk – if one could call it a conversation – with Till. His own toiletries were neatly put away in their bag and Richard was careful to put his bag next to them before turning his attention onto the bathtub. It was still wet, as Ollie apparently had used it before, if anything as a shower – and he bent down to draw a bath, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stand upright to clean himself in his poor state.

Steam slowly started to rise over the water, the soft smell of orange blossom suddenly hovering in the air, and he turned towards his toiletries bag, rummaging through it until he found the vial of Ollie’s miraculous remedy. Five drops in the bathtub later, he carefully put it back where it belonged, agonizingly slowly got rid of his clothes and then made his way inside the tub, groaning in pain and relief as hot water submerged his body.

He finally let himself relax, waiting for the miraculous remedy to start working its healing magic as his thoughts started drifting away, one hand unconsciously moving to the bite marks on his neck.

Accepting Till’s hospitality – accepting a _vampire_ ’s hospitality – was clearly going to cement the opinions of those who saw him as a pet, and it might prove to be dangerous, if the guild decided it so, but on the other hand… it wasn’t the kind of help he was in a position to refuse.

It wasn’t the kind of help he _wanted_ to refuse. He had been drawn to the vampire ever since their paths had first crossed, and hadn’t been shy when the opportunity to jump in bed with him had arose. He knew the possibility of it becoming something _more_ – something that could mark him as a target, no matter how he had tried to reassure Ollie – had always been on the table, and it was now well on its way to become a reality.

Now, the question was… would he make it so? Would he openly and willingly place himself under the vampire’s long-reaching shadow?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after, Richard wanders through the private hotel and finds out more about Till.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the rating and added a few tags.
> 
> 29/12/2020 : made a few minor tweaks through the chapter.

Richard spent what remained of the night sleeping, only emerging from his slumber around lunch time, stomach growling loudly and head pounding slightly. He raised a glassy gaze to the room, sunlight rays peering shyly through the heavy curtains, realized it was more comfortable than he had first thought so, and then slowly got out of bed, careful not to put too much weight on his injured ankle. It didn’t seem to react as he limped slowly to the bathroom, relived himself before staring at his reflection in the mirror.

And grimaced.

He looked rather awful, dark bags under his eyes and the faint trace of a bruise on his cheekbone – although the marks on his neck were already fading. He didn’t remember having been hit in the face, but his memory of the night before was still a bit fuzzy and he dropped the topic altogether. The door to Ollie’s room was closed and he didn’t dare knock on it, knowing all too well his friend was a terrible dragon when woken up. Sighing a bit, he rummaged through his toiletries bag, it took him a few minutes to find the elvish salve he needed, and he blearily stared at it for a few seconds before remembering he meant to use it.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention and he turned his head in the direction of his room, following soft footsteps with a frown, before hearing something that sounded suspiciously like a tray full of food being placed on the nightstand, and then footsteps moving away before the door closed again. He waited a few more seconds, attentive to the silence before shrugging and turning around. A domestic probably, that must have waited for him to leave his bed before bringing him food.

He settled down on the edge of the bathtub, applied the salve to his ankle with slugging movements before pushing his nightshirt away and applying it to his ribs. The bruises looked terrible in the midday light, an array of blue, violet, yellow and green that had him wincing just at the sight. It was painful to the touch as well and it took him more time than it ought to have to apply the salve, biting back a groan of pain on more than one occasion.

Once he was finally done, he put back the salve in his bag, washed his hands and slowly limped back to his room, the pain in his ankle finally rising. As he expected, there was a tray full of food on his nightstand and he stared at it, mind still foggy with exhaustion and pain, before sitting on his bed and reaching for the bowl of warm soup. A light sandwich was accompanying it and he nibbled on the food until his eyes started closing all by themselves. Yawning loudly, he reached for the tea, drank half the cup and trudged under the covers once more, barely having the time to drape them over his head before falling asleep once more.

When he woke up the second time, his room was plunged into darkness, safe for a lone candle burning on the nightstand next to a glass of water, the tray of food nowhere to be seen, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was, before the memories of the previous night flood back to him. He felt his cheeks warm up as he remembered Till’s body against him, and the kiss they had shared – the _passion_ , the closeness, the blood even, currently rushing south of his body, and he squirmed a bit on the mattress as he considered being pinned down by Till here and there.

He indulged into a bit of daydreaming for a few minutes before shaking his head, then running his fingers through his hair. It wouldn’t do for him to ignore the fact he had no idea where he was currently staying, in the hands of whom, or that there were still a few vampires out there who were ready to rain hell down on him if he were to fall into their clutches.

His mood sobered at the thought and he sighed loudly before staring at the ceiling. Well, on the bright side, he wasn’t alone facing that particular problem – Ollie was at in the same boat, after all – but being the target of a kill-on-sight order among the nightlife community was never a good thing for a hunter.

Speaking of Ollie…

He stretched a bit on his bed, mindful of his ribs, and slightly turned his head in the direction of his friend’s bedroom. It was silent, and he couldn’t hear any sound coming from the bathroom as well. Rolling around and squinting in the direction of the windows, he realized that Ollie was, most likely than not, already up and about, possibly trying to find out more about their mysterious host, and their friendship with Till.

He frowned at the thought.

Now that his mind was clearer, the hunter’s reaction to Till looked even stranger. Ollie had never been the kind to be so outrightly hostile to a night creature come to help them, but… thinking back on it, it was true he tended to avoid vampires as much as possible. He had, as far as Richard knew, never had a particular bad encounter with a vampire that might explain that, so that only left a more… personal reason to that particular behavior.

If he didn’t want someone to blurt out something about the particular smell of his blood, for example.

The wooden taste of elvish blood.

Or maybe he was just in over his head. After all, Richard had been growing more certain of his theory for months now, but perhaps he was twisting facts to support it, rather than look at the cold, harsh reality and draw conclusions from there.

Sighing a little, he finally moved to sit on the bed, one hand moving of its own volition to his ribs to avoid hurting at the change of position. A light pain flared up and he waited for a few seconds for it to cool down before cautiously moving to his feet. His ankle protested a bit at his new posture but the ache was a lot more tolerable than even a few hours before, and he cautiously made his way to his bags, rummaging through them to find some clean clothes to wear. His fingers brushed against a soft, cool texture and he frowned at it in the darkness of the room before remembering the black silk shirt that had found its way into his bag. He hesitated for a few seconds and then picked it up, moved by an impulse he couldn’t quite explain to himself. Clean pants, underwear and socks were soon to follow and he trotted to the bathroom, where the lightning was slightly better.

He dropped his clothes near the sink, spotted candles that were waiting to be set alight, took care of those and then took a good look at the room. The bathtub was still damp, a telltale sign Ollie had gone and washed himself already, and he smiled privately before quickly taking off his clothes and stepping into the tub. Pipes creaked and moaned as he turned the knob for hot water, and he shivered a little as the water turned cold to warm and then slightly hotter. Mindful of the fact he was an unexpected guest on the fifth floor, he contented himself with warm water, less hot than what he would have preferred, and set himself down for a good scrubbing, careful assessing his injuries in the process. Laying low for a few days would allow him to get back on his foot all well and good, and he if could convince Till’s mysterious friend to let them stay here until then, it would be close to perfect…

He got out of the bathtub as soon as he was done showering himself, wrapped a towel around his hips and started searching for his shaving kit in his toiletries bag. His fingers hit something glassy and he frowned at it before figuring out. Ollie’s mysterious vial wasn’t to be used in another setting than a bath so he pushed it away with something akin to regret before finally finding what he had been looking for. He finished cleaning up with efficient moves, careful not to cut himself while shaving – wouldn’t do when there was a vampire likely to roam in the house – and washed his hands before spraying cold water on his face, tapping at the fading bruise on his cheekbone with curious fingers. All things considered, it must have come from one of the vampires that had attacked them the day before, and he shrugged at the realization before searching for his elvish salve.

He left the bathroom whistling an old tune, careful to put out the candles, before dropping his night clothes into his bag, ruffled his hair vigorously, searched around for his gun and belt for a minute and a half before finding them and then finally deemed himself ready. He wasn’t quite hungry yet but his curiosity was definitely getting the best out of him, and he grabbed the lone candleholder of his room before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

The new moon was shining brightly through the windows of the corridor and he quickly crossed it, curious to see his new environment. Much to his disappointment, he could only make out the shapes of the various private hotels surrounding the one he was currently in, and he didn’t know the city well enough to figure out where he was exactly. Shrugging a little, he walked towards the stairs before going down, wondering where he should start in the first place.

He decided to stop on the third floor, mindful of not to put too much stress on his still fragile ankle. The corridor had much more grandiose decoration, with a carpet so thick Richard couldn’t even hear himself walk, and he hesitated for a moment before noticing a half-open door. This sent a thrill of excitation at the perspective of some new discoveries, and he hastened his pace.

The door was silent as he went over the threshold and he briefly paused before going ahead, delighted when he realized he had step into the library. Oh, this was _good_ news, nothing like a library to discover more about the owner of the house, and he moved forward with a spring in his step –

Until he collided with another body holding a heavy volume with a leather cover.

A little huff escaped him and he grabbed one bony arm to stop the other man from falling over, obviously taken aback by the unexpected collision. The two of them awkwardly hovered on their feet for a few seconds before taking a step back, the stranger fumbling with the book in his hands before looking at Richard.

Who stared at him with a surprised expression in return, not quite believing his own eyes either.

“Herr Professor,” he finally said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice at seeing a familiar, tall, lanky frame wearing inconspicuous, although tailor-made, clothes, glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

“Herr K-Kruspe,” the man murmured before taking another step back, his hold tightening over his book. “I did not expect to see you in my library.”

“Your library,” Richard repeated, mind suddenly racing.

When Till had said the private hotel belonged to a friend of his, he had expected it to be a _human_ friend, or at least a night creature without any particular grief against hunters. Not someone who, although he currently looked like Richard could fold him in half without bringing a sweat, had a habit to run over the hills during the moonlight.

When in his wolf form, the eminent Herr Professor Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz was tall enough that the top of Richard’s head barely reached his snout, and could outrun vampires when he felt like it – and that wasn’t without going in details about what his jaws could do…

“Yes, my library,” the werewolf repeated before pushing his glasses higher on his nose with one finger.

He looked him up from head to toe with a piercing gaze and Richard suddenly felt a bit self-conscious about the mix of dirt, blood and grime on his leather boots while standing on the wooden floor. He refrained himself from fidgeting, trying to showcase more assurance than he currently felt.

“I didn’t know being a researcher paid well enough to buy a private hotel,” Richard blurted out, finding a small overture to regain the upper hand over the conversation.

“You would be surprised,” Herr Lorenz murmured in return.

“Unless this belongs to the rest of your pack as well?” Richard went on, nonchalance all over his body.

He didn’t miss the glint in the werewolf’s eyes, nor the way he had suddenly tensed up, shoulders hunched over his book. Richard didn’t think he would get attacked, not with the various silver elements adorning his clothes and shoes, and least of all due to the proximity of Ollie with the pack leader.

“This is none of your business,” Herr Lorenz said in a very cold voice, staring at him with a slight frown on his face.

Richard shrugged – probably, then, which meant rather good news for him.

“My friend Oliver has been taking advantage of your hospitality as well, that’s well,” he said nonchalantly, not missing the suddenly flash in the werewolf’s eyes.

The expression was nothing he could decipher in any case, and he didn’t intend to – Ollie’s relationship with werewolves was none of his business, and although it might have gotten handy on a few occasions, he certainly wasn’t going to put his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Ah,” Herr Lorenz said before straightening up, the dim light of the candles reflecting in his glasses. “I thought I had smelled something, indeed.”

He tilted his head to the side, staring at Richard again before the annoyed frown on his face morphed into something that could have been called amusement, had it been anyone else.

“When Till said he would bring dinner, I didn’t expect him to speak literally,” he went on in a very dry tone.

Richard felt his cheeks immediately flame up at the innuendo and had to stop himself from losing his cool. His reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed – of course it hadn’t, not with a werewolf who could hear the spike in his heartbeat or see his skin turn red – and he glared at his interlocutor.

“I had no idea you were friendly with a vampire,” he said, ignoring the previous remark. “Your pack never had good things to say about them overall.”

The werewolf shrugged, obviously amused at his reaction.

“We don’t have good things to say about hunters as well, and yet my house is a refuge for you, for the time being,” he dead-panned.

“Which I appreciate, and am grateful for, Herr Professor,” Richard immediately said, hoping his sincerity was clear.

The werewolf stared at him some more before finally slowly nodding.

“As it should,” he finally murmured, but not low enough that Richard couldn’t hear it and frown – although, yeah, okay, maybe he deserved that a little. “Now, if you will excuse me, I am going back to my study. Dinner will be served in the reception room in,” he checked the mahogany clock fixed to the wall near the door, “in an hour and a half. I am sure you will find enough here to entertain yourself in the meantime, Herr Kruspe.”

And with those words he shuffled around Richard before disappearing in the corridor, still holding tightly onto his volume, the door closing quietly behind him. A bit ruffled, Richard started at the wooden panel for a moment before shrugging and walking deeper into the library.

The encounter had raised more questions that it had answered. How come Till was friendly with a werewolf? Or was it with the whole pack? And if so, had they all had a hand in his and Ollie’s coming in this town? He had a hard time believing the pack leader might decide to bring Ollie on his territory – because he was no full, if one of the werewolves had a house here, that meant he considered at least a good chunk of the city to be his territory – without doing anything about it. Would he have to expect to come across more werewolves in the next few days?

He shivered at the thought, not particularly eager to be around the night creatures _and_ Till at the same time. The professor’s reaction had made it clear the vampire’s smell was over him already – and if they were close enough that Till had talked about him with the werewolf, then…

Then he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that particular piece of knowledge.

A frown etched itself on his face and he finally stopped between two shelves, raising his candleholder to get a closer look at the books. He squinted at the titles, realized they were all history books – not that he didn’t care, but he wasn’t particularly interested into the meditations of one Roman emperor right now – and moved down the shelves until he felt he had gotten lost between the alleys.

A little gasp of surprise escaped him as he realized he had reached the deepest part of the library, where the wall in front of him was covered in shelves. It formed a half-moon and a huge wooden study table was standing there, one of its accompanying chairs pulled back as if someone else had just moved away. A candlestick fixed to the ceiling was hovering over the table and Richard raised his head briefly, a shiver going down his spine as he couldn’t quite see through the darkness of the ceiling.

He cursed night creatures and their eyesight under his breath before moving closer to the shelves, fascinated by the vast amount of volumes. Some of them looked exceptionally old, he could see as much just from their bindings, and he squinted in the dim light, trying to see the titles more clearly. He suspected some of the books were about night creatures – he thought he recognized one from the Guild’s private library, and the possibility to just read it without interruption was already getting him giddy with anticipation – but of course those were on the higher rows that he couldn’t reach without a chair. He hesitated for a moment, head drawn back, half-mindedly noticing the way moonlight rays were hitting on a few shelves to his left.

He wasn’t sure Herr Professor would appreciate boots marks on his chair, no matter how much he hadn’t seemed to mind Richard’s presence in his home.

“Have you found anything to your liking?” a somewhat amused voice asked behind him and he almost jumped on his feet, turning around so fast he almost swayed where he was standing, the candle moving a bit too violently on its holder.

Till steadied him with one hand on his forearm, eyes glinting with amusement at the strong reaction he had just provoked. He gently took the candleholder from his hand and put it on the table before facing Richard again.

“Do try not to set the library on fire,” he went on with the same tone of voice. “I do not think my friend would appreciate that.”

“It won’t happen if you don’t sneak up on me,” Richard grumbled before relaxing a little, leveling a dark glance on the vampire.

Till’s amusement showed more visibly on his face, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Richard stared at him for a moment, taking in his appearance – well-rested, as if he had woken up from a good day of sleep, and wearing an outfit that wouldn’t have been out of a place at a reception: dark trousers and a white shirt, with what looked to be a dark red waistcoat on top of it, with an assorted black tie. His black boots were absolutely immaculate and Richard felt a bit underdressed looking at them, with his simple leather pants and the black waistcoat he had thrown over his shirt.

Till’s smile had grown more predatory by the time Richard met his eyes again, and he felt a shiver going down his spine at the sight.

“This is new,” Till said simply, pointing his chin in the general direction of Richard’s silk shirt.

Richard swallowed rather obviously at his remark, feeling the tip of his ears blush. He raised his chin a little, careful not to show his embarrassment.

“Yeah,” he said simply.

Till stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for him to elaborate further, before the corner of his mouth tugged upwards into the beginning of a smirk. He took one step closer, forcing Richard to straighten up, feeling the hard lines of the bookshelves in his back, raising his eyes up to him.

“This is nice,” Till said noncommittally, rising a hand to touch Richard’s shoulder, sending another shiver going down his spine.

“Yeah,” Richard murmured before shaking his head slightly, wondering why his speech was falling him now. “It is. I have dedicated admirers, apparently.”

Till raised an eyebrow and removed his hand.

“Do you often wear gifts without knowing where they come from?” he asked in a low voice, eyes still fixed on Richard.

The hunter shrugged.

“Didn’t smell poisoned, so it felt safe to wear it,” he answered simply, trying to relax under the intense gaze of the vampire. “Besides, silk clothes are expensive, especially when they’re tailored-made. It really reduces the pool of candidates, and none of those I have in mind are supposed to want me dead.”

He paused for a moment. Till stared at him some more before smiling again, an indulgent expression on his face.

“No clue on whom it might come from, then?” he asked almost teasingly.

Richard stared at him, forced himself not to squirm nor swallow too obviously. It was already bad enough that he knew Till could hear the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat, he didn’t need to break more of his composure than he already had…

“Only hypothesis,” he said calmly, trying to quench the burgeoning hope that had started to bloom in his mind.

Urgh, _no_ – he wasn’t going to fall for a vampire, he was _not_ –

“It suits you,” Till said simply, amusement dancing in his eyes before moving his hand to Richard’s cheek, cupping it gently.

Richard smiled faintly.

“Whoever offered it to me has good taste and a good eye,” he said in a low voice, eyelashes fluttering as he felt Till’s cold fingers brush against his cheekbone, the memories of the night before flashing in his mind.

“Indeed,” Till murmured, stepping closer so that Richard was now pressed between him and the shelves. “I take it you appreciate it, then?”

“Wouldn’t be wearing it otherwise,” Richard murmured, slightly out of breath.

Till smiled, and bridged the gap between them. A soft sound escaped Richard as he felt two cold lips pressing against his and his hands immediately moved to grab Till by his waistcoat. Till chuckled, keeping one hand on his cheek, the other falling to his hip, holding him in position, before nibbling at his lower lip. Richard opened his mouth immediately, a spike of passion surging through him as he deepened the kiss. There was none of the animalistic possessiveness of the night before, only the passion he had grown accustomed to over the years, and he moaned softly into the kiss, gripping a little tighter on Till’s clothes.

Only the need for air forced them to separate, Richard panting heavily in the otherwise silent library, Till watching him with thoughtful eyes, one hand still cupping his cheek. The feeble light of the candles shone lightly in his eyes and Richard refused to try to decipher the expression there, not wanting to get his hopes up and imagine things where they weren’t any.

It was always a bad idea in his line of work, and especially where vampires were concerned.

“You look better than yesterday,” Till finally murmured, hand slowly warming over his skin.

Something warm pooled at the bottom of Richard’s stomach and he shivered a little, losing himself in forest green eyes.

“I feel better, too,” he said in the same tone of voice, all too aware of Till’s hands on him.

He smirked.

“Nothing a good night of rest couldn’t take care of.”

Till hummed quietly for a moment, then pressed himself closer against him, nose brushing against his forehead, lips trailing against his skin.

“Not only sleep,” he murmured, fingers drifting lower until his thumb rested on Richard’s lips.

“Elvish salve, too,” Richard said slowly, all too aware of the finger on his mouth as he spoke.

Till hummed again, used his hold to tilt his head to the side, nose now brushing against his neck, ghosting over the already faded marks of the night before.

“You smell _very_ good,” he said in a low voice.

Richard felt his lips press against the sensitive skin of his neck, swallowed loudly, Adam’s apple bobbing wildly, eyelashes fluttering. Anticipation pooled at the bottom of his stomach and he felt as if time had stopped for a moment, all too aware of fangs brushing against him.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, mouth suddenly dry, tilting his head to the side to give Till a better access to his neck.

The pain was sharp when the fangs penetrated his skin and he spluttered, a hiss escaping him before he bit on his lower lip, forcing himself to remain silent. He closed his eyes, let himself being kept in position, immobile as Till started sucking on the wound, obviously intent on turning him into dinner. Blood was beating in his ears and it felt exhilarating, knowing he was transgressing one of the major rules of the Guild, and not caring about it – as he hadn’t for three years now.

A white haze settled over him and he relaxed in the embrace, his hold lessening over Till’s waistcoat, starting to feel a little fuzzy as Till kept drinking his blood, going much farther than he had the night before.

He couldn’t have said how long it lasted – one second or forever – only knew a small sound of disappointment went through his lips when Till finally stopped, licking at the wound until blood stopped beading up before straightening again, cupping his face in his hands.

Richard stared at him weakly, pain pulsating on his neck, feeling suddenly constricted in his pants.

He moaned weakly as Till moved to kiss him again, gentle, tasted himself on the vampire’s tongue, the metallic taste of cooper suddenly overwhelming him. It only lasted for a brief moment before the kiss ended, leaving Richard with frayed nerves and a growing hunger running through his veins.

“Good,” the vampire murmured before placing a hand on his hip again, the other still cupping his cheek.

Richard stared at him in silence for a few seconds.

“No wonder other vampires can smell you all over me,” he finally said in a low, slightly shaking voice.

Till stared back before brushing his thumb across his cheek.

“I do not need to drink your blood for other vampires to smell me over you,” he said in return, still so impossibly close.

He fell silent after that and Richard didn’t try to push him for more – he had more important matters to attend to right now, starting with the pressure that had built in his leather pants.

“As long as it doesn’t get me killed,” he muttered before grabbing Till’s by his tie and kissing him roughly.

Till chuckled against his lips and pressed him against the shelves, swallowing the hiss of pain that escaped Richard as a book dug sharply against his spine. He finally let go of the hunter’s face, put both hands over his hips, holding in position, before placing a leg between his thighs. A noise of appreciation growled at the bottom of his throat and Richard bit on his lower lip when he felt the vampire’s erection press against his thigh, searching for a little friction.

“There is a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs,” Richard muttered as one cold hand was working its way around his belt, making him hiss and squirm when it finally touched him.

“Too far,” Till all but growled, biting on his lower lip, a smirk growing on his mouth as Richard bucked against his hand. “But we can use the table, if you prefer.”

Richard huffed, pressed his fingers so strongly against Till’s waistcoat that the vampire hissing against him and tried to remember what the hell was on the table before dropping the matter altogether.

“Maybe another time,” he muttered before inhaling sharply as Till started stroking him.

The vampire laughed against his lips before mouthing at his jawline, playing with his body in such a way that Richard was now arching against him, valiantly trying to bite back his moans.

“There are beds much more comfortable than your own in that house,” Till murmured against his ear before slowing the pace if his strokes.

“Promises, promises,” Richard mumbled, breath coming out in short pants.

“I never break promises,” Till murmured in return before pressing himself even more tightly against the hunter, forcing him in a position where he could only take what was given to him.

A sharp thrill shot down Richard’s spine and he gasped audibly before opening his legs a bit more, trying to get as much friction as possible. He heard Till rumble next to him, fought to keep his eyes open in the dim light of the room, and made a small noise of disappointment as Till suddenly stopped moving, staring at him with pupils so dilated his eyes had turned dark.

“More?” he murmured, the focus in his gaze so intense Richard had a hard time meeting his eyes.

Richard stared at him, not quite understanding the question – _of course_ he wanted more – before feeling Till’s hand letting go of his hardness to trail lower and lower, sending shivers down his spine.

His thighs opened of their own volition.

Oh.

_More._

“Yes,” he said, breath taken away, arousal running through his veins.

He tugged his pants and underwear down until they fell lid-thigh, watched Till’s pupils darken even more while the vampire was fumbling with the small pockets of his waistcoat one-handed, the other still holding him against the bookshelves. A small vial of glass finally popped to light and Richard raised an eyebrow when he realized what was in it.

“Do you often walk around with oil in your pocket?” he asked with a drawl, watching the vampire pour it over his fingers. “It’s a bit inflammable.”

Till shrugged before placing his hand between his thighs again, making him shiver at the renewed coldness.

“Only when I mean to take you against a wall,” he said simply before pushing a finger into him.

Richard hissed at the burn, tensed for a few seconds before forcing himself to relax, hands moving to hold onto Till’s forearm as the vampire was pressing deeper into him.

“That is so thoughtful of you,” he muttered before gasping as another thick finger started stretching him.

Till laughed against his neck before pressing a kiss against his cheek.

“I am a gentleman like that,” he murmured with amusement.

Richard turned his head to the side to look at him, feeling himself flush with arousal, the pace of his heartbeat quickening slowly but steadily. A particular twitch and stretch of Till’s fingers had him moan out loud and he violently bit on his lower lip, slightly ashamed at himself.

“None of that,” Till murmured before kissing him again, licking at the blood beading on his mouth, and taking advantage of Richard’s distraction to remove his fingers at the same time.

“You’re going to bleed me dry,” Richard muttered, trying to open his legs more, pushing his pants down with one impatient hand.

Till shook his head, expression suddenly somber and very serious.

“No,” he murmured before sliding into Richard, swallowing the hiss of pain that followed. “Never.”

Richard grunted, more focused on the burning stretch than on the inevitability contained in so few words, panted loudly and bit on his lower lip again, trying not to make too much noise. A plaintive noise escaped him against his will and he grabbed Till’s forearms, felt his nails dig into the silk cloth as he tried to relax. Till remained immobile inside him, mouthed at the line of his jawline, licking and nibling, lips and teeth teasing until Richard finally managed to relax a bit.

“You’re mine,” the vampire murmured, so low Richard almost didn’t hear him, before starting to move a little, cautious movements until Richard met him in the middle of the way.

“ _Yes_ ,” he hissed, the silk of Till’s shirt creasing against his fingers, and he gasped at a vigorous hips roll that had him seeing stars. “Again.”

Till grunted against him, impatiently pushed his pants down until they fell to his ankles, grabbed him by the hips and pushed into him, more forcefully, holding him against the bookshelves. A few volumes fell to the ground with a loud _thump_ and Richard tensed for a moment, wriggled on top of Till, hissed as the sharp line of a book hit his spine.

“Fuck,” Till murmured before rolling his hips into Richard again, a grow escaping him.

Richard grabbed him by the tie again, forced their mouths to meet in a rough kiss, bit on his lower lip none too gently before taking advantage of his grunt of pain to deepen the kiss, clenching rhythmically as Till ravaged him against the shelves.

Fire burned through his veins and he could feel the plateau of his arousal coming, tried to keep it at bay as long as possible. Till picked up on what he was doing, pressed his fingers deeply against his thighs, slowed the movement of his hips until he was almost immobile. Richard grumbled over him, tried to roll his hips to get him to move again, gasped as Till’s fingernails drew red lines on his skin and threw his head back against the leather volumes behind him.

“Mine,” Till grunted against his lips again before moving to his neck, biting onto the sensitive skin.

Richard hissed at the sharp pain, tensed, clenched around Till and felt the vampire roll his hips into him again, rough, forceful moves that meant to leave their imprint onto his skin. He moved in unison, trying to meet his thrusts, gasped sharply as Till finally hit the spot that always had him seeing stars behind his eyelids, and let himself being consumed by passion, one of Till’s hands around his thigh and the other wrapped over his erection.

He came with the smallest moan against one cold hand, the breath knocked out of him by Till’s power, tensed for the last time before turning to a puddle, let all his weight fall onto the vampire, who only grunted in reaction. He blinked lazily, feeling both disconnected from his body and all too aware of Till’s hips thrusting onto him, particularly sensitive to the renewed stretch until the vampire found his release deep within him as well, flattening him against the shelves with a succession of grunts of gasps.

He slowly came down from his high, felt his feet hit the ground – firm, steady underneath him – and shivered a little. Till plastered himself against him, nose brushing against his cheekbone, holding tightly onto him until Richard’s hold over his forearms relaxed a little.

He was panting, too, and Richard briefly wondered if he realized he was mimicking that very human reaction or not, before another shiver shook him.

Till’s hand came to his face again, thumb grazing at his cheekbone, looking at him with something that seemed soft and tender before kissing him again, just a chaste touch on the lips. Richard finally let of his arms, let his hands fall until they were holding on his lips, let himself be caressed while Till was one-handed searching in the pockets of his waistcoat again.

A snort escaped him when a lace handkerchief made its apparition.

“Really?” he murmured with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Till stared at him and smirked as well.

“Unless you would rather get back to your chamber and clean yourself there?” he asked with something akin to mockery, his tone softened by the gentleness of his touch as he patted dry the inside of Richard’s hips.

Richard huffed a laugh and let himself be manhandled, watching with soft eyes as Till cleaned him to the best of his abilities before taking care of his hand, careful not to let a single drop of come stick to their clothes.

“Such a gentleman you are,” he said in a low voice as the vampire folded the handkerchief back in his pocket.

Forest green eyes glinted in the dim light of the library.

“Always, when given the opportunity,” he said in a low voice.

There had been an odd pause at the beginning of his sentence and Richard wondered if he had meant to say something else, to _add_ something, but refused to entertain the thought any longer. He could already count himself lucky that the vampire had been in such an attentive mood with him – heavens knew in which conditions some of their trysts had taken place, covered in grime and gore – and he certainly wasn’t going to prod any further.

A cuckoo clock resonated loudly, its sound piercing through the wall, and Richard turned his head in the direction of the noise, frowning slightly.

“Is it time…?” he started asking, bending down to put his pants and underwear on again.

Till shook his head, taking a step back to give the hunter more space to fix his outfit, not a thread out of place on his own costume.

“Appetizers are waiting for us,” he said in a calm voice, suddenly back to the unflappable persona Richard was so used to. “Unless you would rather stay in the library, of course.”

Richard shook his head, fingers deftly working on his clothes, making sure he looked as presentable as possible. Of course, it was obvious the werewolf would smell what had happened as soon as he stepped into the same room, and Ollie might read it on his face as well, but it couldn’t hurt to give it a try.

“Another time,” he said simply. “I haven’t had the time to explore it fully.”

Till smirked, the light of the candles suddenly reflecting on his shining fangs.

“Of course,” he said simply, waiting until Richard was ready before speaking again. “Shall we go?”

Richard wordlessly nodded and let the vampire lead the way, a pleasant calm washing over him. All his troubles of the nights before had been thrown away and he wanted nothing more than to indulge into a few days of rest before going back onto the field.

Even more so if Till remained in the house during the meantime.

After all, this was the perfect opportunity to start piercing the veil of mysteries surrounding the vampire. Richard knew so little about him – and wanted to learn everything there was to know.

He had never been able to resist a mystery - especially not one wrapped in a cape, and with the appeal of a deep forest by a sunny day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 29/12/2020 : When I first set out to write that story, it was a one-shot that was _supposed_ to have a vague introduction and then one lengthy steamy scene. Turns out it got a lot plottier than I ever wanted it to - and a lot less steamy, too. As I am right now in no position to write a full- length story, I'm concluding that fic here. Maybe I'll come back to that universe with one-shots in the future, real ones. I added a few paragraphs in chapters 1 and 3 for more action between Richard and Till.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this story, please consider leaving a comment.


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